My Voice (Edited Version)
by Caroline98
Summary: She thought she had gotten over him. Yet 4 years later, fate brings the two of them together again. Only this time, one thing was different. She had lost her voice. AominexOC I don't own this story. All the credits go to OtakuNekoSan from Quotev
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"I…like you…"

A 13-year old Aomine stared down at the trembling white-haired girl that was looking down at the floor.

"E-Excuse me?" he stammered, clearly surprised at the sudden confession. "Sorry, but what was your name again?"

The girl looked up at him, hurt by the obvious rejection. "W-Well… if you don't remember me then… never mind. I'm going now."

Aomine watched as the young girl ran across the platform, her long hair flowing out behind her like a curtain. Then suddenly, a train sped by. The girl turned sharply and saw the oncoming train. Aomine tried to say a word of warning, but it was too late. The accident happened.

And that was the day Tsubasa Akemi lost her voice

* * *

Gold eyes blinked open, staring up at the clear white ceiling. How many times had she been here again? She recounted the number of days she had spent in the plain hospital room, surrounded by the smell of disinfectant.

And she hated it.

Today was the day that she was supposed to transfer to Too Academy, a school well-known for its basketball team. Akemi sat up from the bed that she'd been lying on, and opened the door to exit the hospital room.

Ever since the accident, Akemi had lived in the hospital that her mother ran. Because of her unsteady condition, there was no telling how long she would live, or whether she would ever have a future. She often encountered asthma attacks that would suffocate her to the point where she felt as if she couldn't breathe at all. The worst part was that she was mute. It was a temporary condition that should have left, yet it had stayed the same for 4 years straight. But by the end of the third year, her parents had given up on trying to cure her and had decided to put all their hopes and dreams onto the shoulders of her younger brother. And they'd isolated her, hoping that she wouldn't ruin their reputation in any way.

Akemi got dressed, tied her silky hair into a ponytail and placed her new textbooks into her bag. She breathed in deeply, hoping that this year she would be able to keep her condition a secret. It was difficult to make it seem like she was just a quiet and calm girl. Every time a person found out that she couldn't speak, they would either regard her with pity or scorn in their eyes. She hated those eyes that judged her, thinking that she was just a helpless little girl.

As Akemi walked to school, she took in the scenery that surrounded her; the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom, showering the sidewalks with white and pink petals. She saw many students up ahead, talking and laughing. She then headed onto the school campus, following the flow of the students.

As she peered up at the school map on a board outside, she traced the path to the principal's office. She then turned around to head over to the office when she bumped into something huge. Looking up, her eyes widened at the familiar piercing dark blue eyes that were looking down at her.

It was Aomine Daiki.

Akemi quickly looked away and tried to escape the situation. Turning around abruptly, she tried to walk away, only to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"Oy."

She tensed. 'Did he recognize me?'

"You're awfully rude you know, bumping into me and walking away without saying anything." She felt her heartbeat quicken. The first day and she'd already encountered a huge problem.

"What's your name, girl? You've got quite some nerve to mess with me." She instinctively slapped his hand off her shoulder and ran into the school building. Five minutes on the campus and she already knew what this school was going to be like. She sighed.

This was going to be an awful year.

Akemi sat in the principal's office, waiting for him to speak.

"Tsubasa Akemi, correct?" She nodded and he took this as the signal to continue. "I am aware of your condition. You cannot speak, but your parents wish to keep this fact a secret. I have already informed your teachers of this. I assume you will be cooperating as well?" She nodded once again and the principal slightly smiled at her. "Very well then. Here is a map of the school. I have highlighted your classes for you. Have a good first day, Tsubasa-san."

And there it was again. Those eyes filled with pity that Akemi detested so very much. She stood up and bowed, excusing herself, and headed out of the office. She approached her homeroom and entered quietly when she heard the teacher ask her to com in.

"This is Tsubasa Akemi. She will be a new friend among everyone. Please be nice to her," the teacher said. "Sit behind Momoi please, Tsubasa-san."

Akemi saw a pink-haired girl look up at her and smile. She bowed towards her slightly before beginning to walk to her new desk. Just in that moment, the door to the classroom slammed open.

"Sorry I'm late, teach."

The white-haired girl turned around and saw Aomine Daiki, standing at the classroom door. Many girls in her class started to whisper excitedly.

"Aomine!" The teacher glared at the dark skinned youth. "I told you so many times to come to school on time already!" But Aomine only tuned out the teacher's words, his eyes settling on Akemi's tiny figure, who in return shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh. That rude girl from this morning," were the first words that he said. Akemi felt a twinge of anger, before she turned around promptly and sat down at her assigned seat. She saw Aomine heading towards her and shifted her attention towards the teacher, ignoring the boy. She heard a clatter of a chair as Aomine sat down in the seat right behind her.

'Oh crap,' was all she could think as she heard the scraping of a chair on the tile floor. 'Why does he have to sit behind me, of all people?'

"Hey you," Aomine hissed as the teacher began to speak. She disregarded his words and pulled out a notebook and pencil.

Tug. She felt the back of her head jerk back slightly as Aomine grabbed her ponytail, pulling on it. "I was talking to you," he growled. Akemi scowled and whacked his hand away before slipping the rubber band that was holding her hair in place off so that he couldn't tug on it anymore. "Tch. Unsociable person, are you?" he muttered before looking out the window. Akemi stared up at the teacher, attempting to focus on the lesson, but found herself unable to due to his presence.

Aomine Daiki was the cause of her muteness for four years. At first, she simply appreciated his attractiveness and basketball skills. However, he soon wormed his way into her heart when she noticed the little acts of kindness he did, such as secretly helping a kitten down the tree when no one was looking, or lending her an umbrella when it was raining extremely hard. He had also once taught her basketball and helped her perfect a turn-around technique which she used to develop her own style. Yet he had forgotten her. She had been rejected, had carelessly run off crying without paying attention and had ended up in a train accident. The accident then caused temporary brain damage, causing her to lose her voice.

Akemi smiled bitterly at the thought. She wondered if fate had led her to encounter the blue-haired male once again. Taking a deep breath, she let herself slip into concentration mode and began writing down notes on the teacher's lesson.

A while later, the bell rang and she began to pack her things away. She saw the pink-haired girl in front of her turn around and smile at her.

"Hi there, Tsubasa-san! I'm Satsuki Momoi, I hope we get along well in this year!" She smiled brightly at Akemi and Akemi gave her a small, polite smile in return.

"Oy, Satsuki. Who the hell is this brat?" Akemi felt a large hand smash down on her skull and ruffle her hair slightly. Scowling, she held her head and looked up at the giant.

"She's a transfer student, Dai-chan."

'Dai-chan? Is Momoi supposed to be his girlfriend?'

"Her name is Tsubasa Akemi. You shouldn't be so rude."

Aomine's face contorted for a second, as if he recognized her name. Akemi held her breath, hoping he didn't. But only seconds later a frown appeared on Aomine's face. "The rude one is this girl sitting here. She bumped into me this morning and didn't even apologize."

Akemi got up immediately and walked straight out the door. Socializing with people, as fun as it was, only caused her problems since she couldn't say anything. But she was once again stopped by a hand grabbing onto hers.

"What the hell is your problem?" she heard a low voice growl. "Say something you little brat."

"D-Dai-chan, come on! Don't be so violent," Akemi could hear Satsuki pleading with Aomine, trying to get him to leave her alone.

"Shut up Satsuki."

The white-haired girl could feel blue eyes piercing the back of her head and felt extremely helpless at the predicament that she was stuck in. The way Aomine looked at her was different from his old self. She felt her eyes begin to water.

'Stop it Tsubasa Akemi! Get a grip on yourself!'

If there was anything that she hated, it were situations like these where she couldn't do anything. She couldn't apologize since she couldn't speak and she couldn't break Aomine's iron grip either. Aomine and Momoi seemed to notice her shaking.

"H-Hey, Dai-chan, you're making her cry!"

Aomine looked stunned for a minute.

"S-Sorry," he muttered before letting go of her hand. The second her hand was released, she sprinted down the hall and down the stairs, trying to get as far away as possible. School just started and she had already appeared as a weak little girl in front of someone.

She hated appearing this way in front of people. She slammed open a bathroom door and turned on the faucet, splashing her face with cool water to calm down. As much as she wanted to live out a normal school life, her disability made it impossible. She let the water stream onto her face, washing away the emotions that were overfilling.

* * *

Gym class was Akemi's favorite period. She loved to play sports as a way to vent the stress that build up over time. As she was stretching, she noticed Momoi approach her hesitantly.

"T-Tsubasa-san?" she addressed the girl hesitantly. "Sorry about Dai-chan earlier. We're childhood friends and… he just has that kind of personality, you get what I mean?"

'So they're not dating?' Akemi gave her a small smile to which Momoi seemed to be relieved.

"Do you do sports, Tsubasa-san? You have a really nice figure." Akemi nodded as she stood up. A whistle sounded as the teacher instructed the students to line up for jogging. At the sound of the gun, Akemi kicked off and ran. She felt as if she were flying and easily breezed past the other students. Looking to her side, her eyes widened as she saw a familiar tan figure running alongside her. Scowling, she increased her pace.

Aomine noticed this and smirked, matching her pace easily. Akemi's frown only deepened and she ran even faster, yet he managed to match that pace too. Soon, the two of them were racing down the track at a frightening speed, neither of them wanting to give in to the other. By the end of the exercise, they were both worn out from the race, with Akemi taking in deep breaths while Aomine, who was standing beside her, was only panting slightly.

'Show off,' Akemi thought as she saw him turn to her and smirk.

"You suck," he said, amusement dancing in his midnight blue eyes. The girl opened her mouth to retort but bit her lips, remembering that she couldn't speak. She cursed inwardly. Associationg with people only made her want to be able to talk even more. She glared at him before stalking off to the basketball courts.

"Oy, you," she heard Aomine call out suddenly. Turning around, she glanced at him. "Do you know how to play basketball?" She stared at him for a moment before inclining her head ever so slightly. "Do you want to play? One on one."

She frowned. if she recalled correctly, Aomine was one of those people that were so good that no one could ever match up to him. At the same time, she didn't want to back down from the challenge either. So she dipped her head in his direction.

The game started with Akemi taking the ball out. She watched as Aomine's eyes shifted back and forth, noting her familiar stance. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to slip into a realm of concentration before dribbling the ball slowly. As soon as she took two steps into the court, Aomine had already found a way to steal the ball from her. he smirked at her stunned expression and jumped to dunk the ball.

Akemi felt a smug smile crawl onto her face. If there was anything she was good at, it was jumping. She was, after all, the ace of her volleyball team when she'd been in the first year of high school. She felt a familiar tension in her legs being released as she leapt into the air. Aomine's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She tapped the ball lightly with the tips of her fingers, causing it to slip out of his grasp. Yet within seconds, Aomine had grabbed the ball in midair and performed a flawless formless shot. She frowned in annoyance as the ball slipped through the hoop cleanly.

Once again, she took the ball out. She dribbled it slowly, drinking in every detail of the familiar figure before her. She took a step forward and instinctively performed a move that she's practiced so many times that it was imprinted in her memory; a turn-around. She noticed Aomine's eyes widen in surprise as he watched the familiar move, giving her an opportunity ti shoot an unexpected three pointer, which scored. She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction at his expression, until she noticed the look in his eyes.

'Oh crap! He recognized that-'

"Have I…met you before by any chance?" he questioned, clearly disturbed by how familiar her figure seemed. Akemi gulped and shook her head vigorously. "Hmm…" She noticed Aomine's eyes narrow in suspicion as he picked up the fallen basketball. "I don't feel like playing anymore. Go do something else." She scowled at his sudden backing out of the game.

So she grabbed a volleyball from one of the nearby courts and served it straight into the back of hi head. Then she stuck her tongue out at him, smirking.

"Why you little…!" Aomine growled, heading towards the petite girl but was stopped by the teacher blowing his whistle and summoning the rest of the class. Akemi laughed inwardly as they both walked off to the gathering. The teacher was talking about volleyball and demonstrating an underhand serve.

'His form is off.' Akemi frowned and her arm twitched as she resisted the urge to go up and smack the ball out of his hand. Aomine noticed this and smirked.

"Teach, Tsubasa here seems to think that you're doing it wrong," he said loudly. Akemi cursed and elbowed him in the stomach, which didn't have much effect. "Why don't you ask her to demonstrate for us?"

The teacher looked warily at Aomine, then at the girl beside him. "Very well. Tsubasa-san, please show us any serve format you would like. It doesn't have to be underhand."

Akemi gulped and nodded a bit before stepping forward and taking the volleyball onto the court. Bouncing it up and down a couple of times, she noticed Aomine smirking at her from the crowd, clearly believing that she couldn't do it. Akemi frowned in displeasure. 'I'll show you'. She took a dew steps behind the court and threw the ball into the air and jumped up, swinging her hand backwards and hitting the ball to the back row of the defensive side of the court with a ridiculous amount of strength. She landed on the court, satisfied at the jump serve she'd performed. Turning to her classmates, who were all obviously impressed, she looked at Aomine and returned the smirk that he had directed at her before.

Momoi observed Aomine's stunned expression, a small smile forming. It was the first time a girl had been able to show up to Aomine and could keep up with his fast running and basketball pace. Despite Aomine's attitude, Momoi was aware that he was just being stubborn and refusing to acknowledge Tsubasa.

* * *

"Oy, Satsuki."

The manager of the Too basketball club looked up at the dark-skinned giant. "What is it, Dai-chan?"

"That girl, the once who did the volleyball serves. Can you find out some information on her for me?"

Momoi looked surprised. "Are you asking for the three sizes, Dai-chan?"

"Did I ask about that?" Aomine growled, clearly flustered by the question. "Include that if you want. I just want to know her background, previous school she attended and so on."

"My, Dai-chan is actually asking for information on a _girl._ " Momoi emphasized the last word,smiling slightly at Aomine's embarrassed expression. "Fine. I should have it by tomorrow." Aomine merely nodded before heading out the gym. Momoi frowned. "You're not coming to practice, Aomine?"

Aomine narrowed his eyes. "I'm doing private training for now. No one in here can keep up withme anyways."

Momoi looked back down at her clipboard, a smile still etched on her face. "I guess that match with Seirin got to him after all," she murmured before scribbling something down.

* * *

Akemi was practicing her three pointers in basketball outside after school. Too's main devotion was the basketball club; there were no female volleyball clubs here. She frowned as her shot bounced off the rim. The female basketball group was simply a 'fanclub'; they didn't actually play at all. In other words, there were no sports features that she had any interest in at this school. Jumping up, she shot the ball and watched as it spun towards the hoop. One glance told her the shot was going to fall clear through the hoop.

An arm suddenly shot up and grabbed the basketball out of the air before it reached the net. Akemi paused, surprised by the stop of the ball. Looking down, she spotted a random guy surrounded by a group of friends with her basketball in hand.

"You're that transfer student everyone's talking about, right? The 'pretty and quiet' girl." The guy grinned at her confused expression. "I heard that you were pretty good at volleyball. Someone even said that you were decent enough in basketball to keep up with Aomine Daichi."

Akemi frowned. What was up with this guy? Why was he even talking to her?

"What do you say you come and hang out with us some time, little girl? We could make use out of someone like you." Akemi's frown turned into a scowl at this point. She turned around and began to walk away, only to have her arm grabbed roughly by the stranger.

"Hey, we're talking to you. Don't think you should tell us a word or two at least?" The guy frowned as she shot him a glare. "I told you to say something!" He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. 'Teenagers sure are rough these days, even to girls,' Akemi thought as he slammed her up against a wall.

"Still staying quiet?" he hissed, clearly ticked off at her silence. Not that she could say anything anyways. She had encountered this kind of situation various times and each time, it always ended up the same. She would be beaten up and no one passing by would say a thing. No one would come to look for her. So what did it matter? Honestly.

"Well then, girly, why don't we go have some fun?"

She suddenly felt nervous. This was not right. It was not going the way she wanted it to at all. He did not punch her, he did not kick her and try to break her bones. Instead, he yanked the collar of her shirt. Hard.

She began freaking out and struggled against the arms holding her down. No. No. This kind of things was not supposed to happen. She kneeled him in the crotch, only seeming to rouse his anger even more. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She was stuck in this predicament again - she couldn't do a single thing to save herself. And if she didn't escape, who would help her?

"Oy. What the hell do you bastards think you're doing?"

Heads turned to find the source of the voice that had spoken. Akemi saw Aomine standing there, gazing coolly at the scene laid out before him.

"A-Aomine," one of the guys stuttered and looked from him to the girl. "W-We were just…uh…Sorry!" The guys glanced at each other before running away as fast as they could. Akemi slid down the wall, her hand clenched tightly around the neck of her blouse, silent tears streaming down her face. 'Scary. Scary. Scary…So scary…'

"Hey." She saw Aomine bend down next to her. "You…are you alright?" He scratched the bak of his head awkwardly, clearly not used to worrying about someone. His words only made her cry even harder. It had been so long since someone had been concerned about her well-being. Aomine hugged her awkwardly.

"C-Calm down, okay?"

A small smile appeared on Akemi's face at the clumsy giant's act of gentleness. She buried her tear-stained face into his chest and breathed in his comforting cent. Not only did it calm her down, she also fell asleep in about five minutes flat.

Aomine chuckled lightly, looking down at the girl's sleeping face. Tsubasa Akemi, huh. The name sounded so very nostalgic, as if he'd heard it before. he ran a hand through her silky white hair, his face depicting a rare gently smile.

"Sweet dreams, Tsubasa."

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **This was originally an AominexReader story, but I decided to invent my own OC and put her in it. Just so you know, I had to write the whole damn thing again because it was written with 'you' and had to adapt everything and I will have to do it for the following 13 chapters, so it's going to take some time until this one's fully published. I sometimes made some minor adjustments, but nothing big. I hope you enjoy it**

 **The original version is by OtakuNekoSan on Quotev. All credits go to her.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Akemi ran towards her house, a boy in her hands and eyes shimmering excitedly.

"Mom, Dad! I'm home!"

Her mother and father turned to her. "What's that you're carrying, Akemi?"

"I found a kitten on the ground! It was hurt… Can we take care of it?"

Her mother's gentle smile turned into a frown. "Honey, we already have enough to handle. We can't have this…thing taking up more money."

Akemi pouted. "But it's hurt! You're a doctor, right? You can take care of it, right?"

Her father suddenly rose up angrily at his daughter's persistence. He picked up the kitten by the scruff of its neck and threw out into the koi fish pool in their backyard. Akemi let out a small scream and ran after it.

"Don't pick up such useless things, Akemi. We already have enough trouble handling the family as it is."

A sob racked through her small body as she scooped the kitten out of the pool Suddenly, a flash of light approached her from the right. She turned abruptly and saw a train heading towards her.

* * *

Akemi sat up in her bed, breathing harshly, sweat dripping down from her hair. It was that nightmare again. She took a deep, calming breath and ran a hand through her white locks. Ever since the train accident, she would have dreams recounting her childhood traumas that would always end with her getting hit by a train. She got out of her bed shakily and undressed before heading into the bathroom, turning on the faucet and letting cool water stream onto her face.

After getting dressed in her uniform, sh headed out the door and started down the path to Too Academy. Looking up at the azure blue sky, she walked along the roadside, thinking about her dream. That particular memory had occurred when she had been 6 years old. She had been naive and playful, and always oblivious to her parents' attitudes towards small animals. The kitten had died soon after it had been thrown into the koi pond. She's cried for days until her father had grown annoyed and demanded that she snap out of it.

Her parents were only gentle when she didn't get in their way.

Akemi noticed a giant shadow looming over her and turned around only to come face-to-face with Aomine Daiki. She would've let out a squeal if she could. She backed away slowly before spinning back around to continue walking down the road to the Academy. Aomine looked up at her.

"You really never say anything, do you?" he grunted before walking beside her. She looked up at his tall, muscular frame, wondering just how much he had grown over the course of the past four years. Aomine noticed her staring. "What? Haven't fallen for me, have you?" he teased, smirking as she blushed and looked away.

After he had saved her the previous day, it scared her how quickly the emotions she had locked away years ago came flooding back. She convinced herself that it was simply a small attraction; she only respected him for his actions. But she didn't know how long it would be before her heart would begin beating quickly and she would flush unconsciously whenever she saw him. But until that happened, she decided to resist the emotions as much as possible, or else she would once again experience that pain that she'd felt when he'd rejected her.

When they both arrived at Too, Akemi headed straight to the classroom. Aomine yawned.

"I'm going up onto the roof now… Today's class is going to be boring anyways."

Akemi frowned and stopped in her steps before going up behind the giant and grabbing his jacket.

"What?" He turned around, narrowing his eyes. She glared at him and tugged at his jacket, pointing over at the classroom.

"No." Aomine tried to take a step forward but Akemi tightened her grip on his jacket, pulling him back. Aomine sighed, "So persistent…" He turned around and grabbed her hand, making her release his jacket. Her frown deepened into a scowl before she flung her arms around his midsection, dragging him into the classroom.

"O-Oww!" Aomine grumbled as she accidentally let go and caused him to fall down on the floor.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll go to class. Happy?"

The girl grinned before heading over to the classroom and opening the door. She walked to the back of the class and sat down at her desk, taking out her notebooks. Chatter broke out as Aomine entered and sat down behind her, grumbling all the while. Classmates stared. Aomine never came to class on time; he usually didn't come at all if he could help it. Even Momoi, who just entered the classroom was surprised.

"Dai-chan? You're attending class?" she said in disbelief. Aomine only grunted in reply.

"I was forced to. By this girl." He nodded his head towards the white-haired girl. Akemi smiled up at Momoi in greeting before pulling a textbook out of her bag.

"Oh my. Dai-chan's listening to a girl? The world must be ending," Momoi snickered as a tinge of red appeared on Aomine's cheeks.

"Shut up, Satsuki."

The teacher then entered the class and the clattering of chairs was heard as students returned to their desks. His eyes flashed briefly with astonishment when he scanned the room and found Aomine sitting in his seat, disgruntled.

"All right, settle down," he instructed before beginning to take attendance.

Aomine yawned. "I'm bored already," he muttered. He then got up and attempted to escape the classroom, but was stopped as Akemi leaned over and once again grabbed a hold of his jacket, glaring at him. "Tch." He sat back down, a scowl written on his face. Onlookers were watching with amusement.

The great Aomine Daiki was sitting down obediently in class. Now that was something you didn't see every day.

* * *

"Dai-chan!" Momoi was rushing over to Aomine's lunch spot outside of the gym. She came to a stop in front of him, breathless. "I found the information you asked for yesterday." Aomine looked up at Momoi as she began her report. "Tsubasa, Akemi. She lived in an urban are in Kyoto for a while before she moved here. She attended Teiko for middle school and went to an all-girls school for her first year of high school before she transferred here. There isn't much else that I could find about her, which is strange."

Aomine frowned. So she had attended the same school as him before. He might have run into her once or twice, yet her name seemed so much too familiar for the situation to be that simple. Aomine felt as if he was forgetting something important. But what the heck was it?

"Oh yeah. By the way, her three sizes are 35C-27-38, in case you were wondering." Momoi watched, amusement twinkling in her eyes as Aomine's face flushed bright red.

"Tch." He buried his face in his hands, trying to eras whatever inappropriate thoughts that came up at Momoi's words. "That wasn't the information I was asking for…"

"Oh my," Momoi teased. "This is the first time you became so worked up over a girl, Dai-chan~" Aomine scowled.

"She's just…different. From the other girls, I mean. It's simply because I'm not used to it. That's all." 'That, and I feel like I know her from somewhere…'

The sudden sound of footsteps warned the pair of someone approaching. Momoi and Aomine both turned to see the white-haired girl in question walking over, a lunchbox in hand.

"Tsubasa-san! Are you going to eat lunch now?" Momoi jumped up enthusiastically and called Akemi over. In return, she gave her a little wave before shaking her head. Momoi looked slightly confused as the other girl walked past them and went over to a small bush at a secluded corner near the back of the gym. A small kitten poked its head out of the bush as Akemi pulled a can of fish out and opened it, leaving it there for it to eat. She sat down a couple of feet away and smiled as it crawled out hesitantly and sniffed the mackerel that she'd left there.

Aomine started at the girl, suddenly reminded of the time he had climbed up a tree and helped a kitten down from the tallest branch. His eyes softened slightly as he watched her smile gently at the tiny creature. Momoi noticed Aomine's expression before walking away quietly, giggling under her breath. She looked up at the clear sky.

"Oh Dai-han, you fool…"

Akemi was startled out of watching the kitten eating by a sudden chime of the school bell. Getting up, she brushed off her lap before turning around to head back into the school building. She looked up and saw a tall, familiar figure. Aomine Daiki stood before her, a mixture of embarrassment and amusement written on his face. She smiled lightly and brushed past him and walked in the direction of the second year building. Then she stopped, noticing that he wasn't following her.

Once again, she grabbed onto his jacket and frowned stubbornly. Aomine scowled in response.

"I already attended morning classes. Can't you let me go just this one time?"

Akemi only shook her head defiantly before grabbing his large hand and dragging him towards the building. Aomine sighed, but smirked slightly at a sudden thought that crosses his mind.

'She sure is one strong-willed girl.'

* * *

During gym that day, Akemi felt strangely drained and exhausted. She managed to keep up with Aomine throughout the running exercise and lined up with the rest of the class as everyone began to practice their serves. She grabbed a volleyball from the pile and headed to an empty courts with Momoi.

"Tsubasa-san, could you teach me an underhand serve?" The pinkette looked up at Akemi, curious at the sudden uneasy expression that appeared on her face. But she nodded eventually and helped her adjust her serving position using her hands. Not before long Momois was sending serves successfully over the volleyball net. Akemi smiled at her, running after the ball to retrieve it. Suddenly, she felt a familiar sensation crawl up her throat.

'Oh no. This is bad.'

Akemi slowed down and put a hand up to her neck, running it up the side of her throat, hoping to make the feeling go away. But she was unsuccessful. Within seconds, she felt her lungs constrict and began choking, a hand pressed to her neck.

"T-Tsubasa-san?" Momoi's concerned voice was the last thing Akemi heard before she got hit by an asthma attack. She fell to the floor, her hand clutching at her chest, coughing and wheezing, trying to breathe. She barely noticed the teacher blowing his whistle and commanding a student to run to the infirmary to get a nurse. A strong pair of arms encircled her middle and she felt herself being propped up. A large, warm hand rubbed her back soothingly.

Akemi gasped as a shudder passed through her body. She felt her air passage being cut off and her vision became blurry around the edges. She couldn't breathe. Once again, the feeling of being suffocated enclosed around her.

'N-No!' Her mind screamed for help as she felt herself becoming lightheaded. She was subject to unexplainable asthma attacks that medications did not seem to have an effect on. As a result, she had no control over when she was suddenly struck by a smothering feeling covering her lungs, making it impossible to draw a single breath.

"Tsubasa, calm down. I'm here," she heard a familiar low voice growl into her ear.

'Aomine…'

That was the last thought that registered in Akemi's mind before her world went black.

* * *

Aomine walked down the empty corridor after school. He let out a sigh. After the chaos of the morning, he would've liked for nothing more than to go home and douse himself in a cold shower. He remembered Tsubasa's small, shivering figure and her mouth parted for air as spasms had raked her body. The blue giant shook his head, trying to derive his head of the thoughts of her delicate frame. Momoi had forced him to go back to the classroom to get his textbooks that he'd left behind. As his footsteps echoed down the lonely hallway, his attention was drawn to a slightly opened door just before the classroom.

"…it really isn't possible to cure her?" The principal's voice was heard through the small crack in the door.

"That can't be, right? There are many donors - surely they'll find someone to help out even if her parents have given up."

Aomine walked on, uninterested, until he heard the man's next sentence.

"What do you think, Tsubasa-san?"

The blue-haired giant froze in his tracks, his head slowly turning to face the door. A scribbling of pencil on paper could be heard and the teacher and principal on the other side of the door seemed puzzled.

"It's supposed to be temporary? But why do you still have the condition?" The teacher sounded panicked, clearly shocked.

"Now, now, let's not get too worked up," the principal spoke calmly. "I'm sure that it was a trauma or something that caused the incident in the first place. From what I've heard, Tsubasa-san is an extremely capable girl. Her condition doesn't seem to affect her education."

"I suppose…" the voice trailed off uncertainly. "But students will surely realize something soon! I can't call on her to help read passages in class. If I keep skipping her, the students will notice that something is off. Surely it's better to tell everyone the truth?"

The principal stood up sharply. " Mr. Ayukawa, if we let everyone know that Tsubasa Akemi is mute, then she will withdraw from the school! That will cause an extreme problem and chaos among the students. We should try to keep it as hushed down as possible - we promised her parents as well."

"Alright… Fine. I suppose you are dismissed, Tsubasa-san."

Aomine was startled out of his shock at what he heard at the sound of the approaching footsteps. The door opened and Aomine came face to face with Tsubasa Akemi. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that he had been listening in on the conversation. She wondered just how much he'd heard. He swallowed thickly.

"You…can't speak?"

 **A/N: I don't own anything**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"You…can't speak?"

Akemi stared up nervously at the towering blue-haired ace staring down at her, a rather conflicted expression on his face. She didn't know how she should respond to his sudden question. The principal and teacher were standing behind her, a stunned expression on their faces.

Akemi's secret had gotten out so quickly she couldn't even believe it.

"A-Aomine," the teacher began. "We have a very good reason for keeping this a secret, and I do wish that you would keep quiet-"

"Tch. Shut it." Aomine scowled before spinning on his heels and walking away. "I won't say anything _unnecessary_."

Akemi thought that her secret was safe. But as Aomine passed by her, she heard him hiss into her ear.

"Keeping a secret like that. And I thought I could call you a friend."

* * *

Why did she keep it a secret? The answer was simple; letting out such a piece of information would most likely lead to Aomine discovering her identity and how the two of them had known each other a long time ago. If he knew the reason of her muteness, he would blame himself and think that she didn't want to be near him, which wasn't true.

All she wanted was to be able to start over again. Clearly, her confessing to him that day had been a mistake. She had always wanted another chance to be with him. As long as she was able to stay near him, that was enough. She wanted to be able to see his laugh, to play basketball with him, to spend time with him. And she got her chance. Yet something had to happen and cause everything to go wrong.

Akemi sighed and ran her hand through her hair during next day's P.E. class. The sky was dark and there was a high percentage of rain. She shivered slightly from the cold and cursed inwardly at how she'd forgotten to bring her sweater to school. Aomine didn't bother to talk to her the entire day, making Momoi worried, wondering what had happened. Aomine wouldn't tell her a single thing and it was impossible for Akemi to assure the pink-haired girl.

As the class once again lined up for running, she noticed Aomine gazing at her uninterestedly. The words in his eyes were clear. Today he wasn't going to race with her. If anything, he was going to run so far ahead of her that she couldn't catch up, Akemi tore her gaze away from him and watched as the teacher raised the starting gun into the air.

As the gun let out a sudden bang, she and Aomine immediately sprinted ahead of the rest of the group. A glance at Aomine told her that he was confident about beating her, bit she wasn't going down without a fight. She sucked in a mouthful of cold air before increasing her speed. The two of them were racing neck to neck down the track. Yet in the end, Aomine managed to surpass her. He refused to look her in the eye as he stretched his legs and walked off to the basketball courts.

Rain began to sprinkle down and Akemi shuddered slightly. She looked up at the sky worriedly, before heading off to the volleyball courts. Her classmates who'd finished running their laps were heading over to the volleyball courts as well. The light tapping of rain on the ground began to increase and soon the rain became a steady roar. Students began to run under the gym's overhand in order to avoid getting soaked. Akemi followed them and squeezed into the crowd of students. As she walked by, she noticed many stare following her and a couple of boys whistles. Confused, she looked down before her eyes opened in horror.

Because she had forgotten her sweater, her white P.E. shirt had become transparent when it had been soaked by the rain. As a result, her bra was visible to all of the spectators.

"Black huh? Sexy," she heard one of the boys remark and blushed, using her arms to cover her chest. Tears threatened to spill over as she crouched down, trying to cover herself up.

"Tch. I can't watch this." Akemi looked up slightly to see a tall figure tower over her. "Here, wear this, dumbass."

Something soft came in contact with her head. Aomine had taken off his sweater and given it to her. Akemi opened her mouth slightly to say that he would catch a cold before biting down on her lips. Aomine chuckled.

"That's right. Just be a good girl and stay quiet." Akemi pouted childishly at his words before pulling the damp, oversized sweater over her tiny frame. It had never occurred to her just how massive Aomine was; his sweater nearly reached her knees. She looked up at him slightly before muttering the words 'thank you'. Aomine only looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Whatever," he mumbled.

Suddenly, a pair of arms circled her waist and Akemi turned around to see Momoi was the one wrapping her in a hug. "Aww~! You look so adorable wearing Dai-chan's sweater! Can I take a picture? Please!" Akemi flushed and shook her head. There was no way she was going to let anyone take a picture of her in some oversized sweater. Heck, it looked as if she wasn't wearing anything underneath! That mad things a ton worse.

Momoi smirked and looked up at Aomine. "Aren't you being quite nice to Tsubasa-san, Daik-kun? You never even let me borrow your sweater when I'm cold."

Aomine scowled. "Shut up. Her shirt was see through, just so you know." Akemi's face turned even redder at his blunt statement.

"Aww, Dai-chan, you were concerned about other people staring at her? How cute!" Momoi giggled as Aomine stared at her with a dumbfounded look, his mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out. Clearly, Momoi calling him cute had rendered him speechless.

"I-I'm not cute!" Aomine stuttered, furious. "I am strong and cool and all of those other things. But cute? _Cute?_ Hell no."

"But Tsubasa-san thinks so too, right?" Momoi turned and stared at the white-haired girl. Akemi looked at Aomine's enraged features and Momoi's amused face. She nodded.

"W-w-wha…!" Rage and embarrassment shone in Aomine's eyes as he glowered at the two girls in front of him. "F-forget it! We never had this conversation!"

A small smile adorned Akemi's featurea as she watched Aomine turn his face away, his cheeks tinged with red.

How cute indeed.

* * *

It never occurred to Akemi how many fans Aomine had until she became the target of their bullying and harsh criticism. They didn't abuse her physically; they seemed to enjoy watching her suffer mentally.

One time, one of Aomine's fangirls knocked over a vase and ran away just as Akemi came around the corner. Even though she wasn't the culprit, she was blamed - she couldn't say a thing to defend herself. Another time, someone had put a copy of the next test's answer in her bag. Once again, she was unable to say that it was a mistake when the teacher found the books inside of her bag.

But the main problem was that she had gotten out of both situations - the teachers were all aware of her good reputation and how anything strange that happened had probably been because of someone else. If anything, this only riled up the fangirls more. And now she had to constantly be on her guard.

It wasn't until a couple of days after those events that rumors began to start through the school. When Akemi arrived at Too that morning, she found people avoiding her left and right. Upon entering the classroom, everyone became deadly silent. She sat down, confused, before a boy came up to her and asked her to go out with him. She was shocked out of her mind before shaking her head furiously. What person did these kinds of things anyways? The air in the classroom seemed rather tense before Momoi opened the door and entered. When she saw her white-haired friend, a smile appeared upon her face and she tackled the girl in a giant bear hug.

"Tsubasa-chan~! Are you doing okay?" Akemi nodded slightly. Many of the students in the room shifted nervously, an uneasy look on their faces. Momoi looked up, confused. "Why is it so quiet in here?" she said, echoing Akemi's thoughts. The door once again slammed open and Aomine Daiki walked into the classroom, ignoring the tension in the air. Murmurings broke out as he sat down behind her without a care in the world.

"A-Aomine-kun." A girl approached the dark skinned giant cautiously. "Is it true that Tsubasa-san…did that…to you?"

Aomine stared up at the girl curiously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"U-um…never mind!" The girl immediately quailed under Aomine's gaze and rushed back to her desk, tripping over her feet. The teacher then entered the classroom, starting the lessons.

During break, Akemi found herself pushed around a lot by girls in the hallways and ignored by others, yet she had no idea why. She sat down outside of the gym, sighing.

"Tsubasa-chan!" The white-haired girl instinctively turned at the noise and saw Momoi running towards her, a panicked look on her face. She stopped by the girl, panting. "I asked what was going on this morning in the classroom. One of the girls showed me this."

Momoi showed Akemi her cellphone. On the screen was a chain mail that said: 'Newsflash! Tsubasa Akemi forces Aomine to go out with her?' Under the caption were various pictured of the girl in question and Aomine, either shooting baskets or walking together in the hallways. But of course, whoever had taken the pictures had had to catch the moments when the only one 'smiling' was Akemi; all of the pictures had an Aomine with a displeased face. She couldn't help but applaud the photographer for such excellent skills, but now was not the time for that.

Under the pictures, a tinier caption was there, warning boys about how Akemi was supposedly a 'slut', telling them to stay away from her. Everyone that received the message was supposed to forward it to 10 other people. In other words, at least more than half of the school had seen this email by now. Akemi nearly scoffed at how ridiculous the chain mail was. Momoi noticed her expression and frowned.

"This is serious, ! If you don't stop the chain mail, then you're going to be picked on by a lot of people! If we just told Dai-chan we could end this easily." At this statement, Akemi immediately grabbed onto the pink-haired girl's shirt and shook her head heard. There was no way she was going to drag him into this problem.

Momoi's frown became more prominent. "You need to end this situation, Tsubasa-chan! Can't you please just say something! If you don't speak up, you're going to find yourself in a helpless situation! If you can't defend yourself, you aren't even a person anymore - just someone who is pushed around by others-"

As soon as Momoi saw her friend's face, she knew that she'd gone too far. Akemi's eyes filled up with tears at her words. Momoi had literally just called her useless. The girl turned on her heels and ran away, ignoring Momoi's calls. She would speak up if she could. But that was impossible with her current condition. In the end, she knew that she only had herself to blame. The one who didn't say anything about her condition was she herself. How could Momoi know she was mute unless she told her?

* * *

Akemi began to avoid Momoi after the situation she had gotten into. By staying near her, Momoi also became gossiped about and it would only be a matter of time before she would be isolated by the others as well. The only problem was, not long after, Aomine found out about all of the rumors. He too, found them ridiculous and absurd. However, other people didn't seem to think that way, which only caused him problems.

At first, nothing too bad happened. But then, things started escalating. Akemi found herself pushed down stairs, tripped in hallways and falling a lot during gym class. Once, she got licked in a storage room until the janitor heard her and got her out. Before she knew it, she was getting cornered and beaten up by people.

On a day in which she got a rather bad bruise on her arm, she tried to receive a volleyball and failed badly. She winced and clicked her tongue in annoyance. How it pissed her off that those girls could get away with everything. The only bad thing about the failed receive was that Aomine noticed. Because she never missed when it came to volleyball, Aomine frowned and walked over.

"Oy. What the hell happened to your arm?" The girl shook her head, signifying that nothing was wrong. Aomine scowled. "Nothing my ass. You actually missed a volleyball. How the hell is that normal? Let me see."

He reached out to grab her arms, but she jerked it away. Aomine's scowl became wider as he glared at her. "Let. Me. See." He practically hissed out the words, anger showing in his midnight blue eyes. She gulped and shook her head, before turning and running off.

Akemi knew that running was not a smart move. Within seconds, Aomine had caught up to her and pinned her to the wall of the gym. He grabbed the sleeve of her sweater and yanked it up. Fury and surprise were etched into his face as he noticed the large bruise on her forehead.

"How the hell did this happen?" He looked up at her, rage blazing in his eyes. Akemi shook her head once again. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't exactly tell him in the first place. Aomine sighed and stepped back.

"Look, I don't know what the hell is going on," he said, turning to her, "but you need to be more careful. Don't get yourself injured too much, 'kay?" He patted her roughly on the head before walking away.

Akemi frowned. She would try to prevent herself from getting hurt, if she could. But when it was 7 against 1, that was basically impossible.

The following day, Akemi waled past the gym to the classroom, wincing as she put her food on the floor. Aomine, who was practicing in the empty gym, spotted the girl and noted her stumbling figure. From what he saw, the situation was getting out of hand. She had been beaten up several times already and it didn't help that she was avoiding Momoi. When she walked into the classroom, hateful gossip immediately began among the classmates.

The second Aomine entered through the door, girls swarmed around him, bombarding him with questions.

"Aomine-kun, did Tsubasa-chan really force you to go out with her?"

"You actually went out with this slut? Ugh. Do you want us to teach her a lesson?"

"Aomine-kun, you really should just beat her up and teach her her place already."

Aomine's eyes were dark pools of displeasure. He had reached the end of his patience. The next line he said caused everyone in the room to freeze and shut up.

Aomine Daiki opened his mouth and practically yelled, "She's mute, you bastards. How the hell can she force me to go out with her?"

 **A/N: I don't own anything.**

 **Sorry for the long wait, but I have a Spanish paper next week and had to study for other papers as well. And don't forget: I'm rewriting the whole story! So cut me some slack and be a little patient. Anyway, I'll see if I can do another chapter perhaps today or tomorrow and upload as soon as I have time again.**

 **Read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"She's mute, you bastards. How the hell can she force me to go out with her?"

The classroom remained deadly silent. Heads swiveled around to look at Akemi. upon meeting their eyes, she saw what she did not want to see. She stood up quickly and slammed her hand on her desk. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak.

'I'm not!'

But once again, her voice didn't come out. And there they were again; those eyes filled with pity, shock, scorn. Akemi did not want to be looked at that way. She did not want to be seen as a weak little girl who couldn't do anything. Tears blurred her vision and she ran out of the classroom. She ran until she was breathless and had to stop. Finding herself on an empty rooftop where everything was quiet and peaceful, she drew a shaky breath before sinking down onto her knees, tears streaming silently down her face.

'Why does fate have to be so cruel?'

* * *

"Hey, do you know about Tsubasa-san?"

"Apparently she can't speak."

"Oh… Poor girl."

"We'll only embarrass her if we invite her to come to the Christmas party. After all, we are doing karaoke."

"Yeah…let's go."

Golden orbs followed the retreating figure of the girls who were exiting the classroom. Again. It had happened again. She was cut off by everyone, isolated and unable to speak up for herself. She wanted to go celebrate with everyone else, but they seemed to think that she would be embarrassed if she had to go.

A silent sigh escaped her lips as she got up and picked up her book bag. Everyday was the same. People avoided her gaze and looked at her with pity whenever they spoke to her. This was the cage that she hated, that she didn't want to be stuck in. If only she could get out…

Returning home, Akemi saw her parents frustrated as they sat at the dining table.

"Look, Akemi, we can't do this anymore. Our hospital isn't trusted because we can't cure our own daughter of her condition. You are transferring schools."

Akemi's eyes widened at her mother's sudden words. She saw their eyes. Rather than pity, they were filled with hatred and scorn. Flinching, she nodded silently before turning around to head to her room. She took a deep breath. A new school was a chance to start over again. If no one found out about her condition, she could live as a normal person.

And on the very first day, she bumped into a person who knew more than just her condition; he knew the cause of it and her buried past.

That person was Aomine Daiki.

* * *

Akemi stayed on the rooftop until school ended. Her face turned as she heard the door click open. Aomine stepped through the doorway, yawning. Then he stopped as he spotted the girl sitting on the floor, staring at him.

"Oy, what are you doing here?"

The white-haired girl looked up a him before frowning and turning her gaze abruptly elsewhere. She heard him click his tongue in annoyance.

"Fine, fine. Ignore me like the brat you are."

He sat down with his back against the wall, staring up at the sky. A silence stretched between the two of them. A cool wind brushed across her neck and Akemi unconsciously shivered.

"Here."

Akemi looked up and saw Aomine, his basketball jersey in a hand outstretched towards her. She looked up at his face. He was the only one who hadn't looked at her with those eyes that despised her. She appreciated that more than anything else. She took the jacket and wrapped it around herself. Aomine saw down next to her before he spoke.

"Should I…not have said anything?"

The girl's white head swiveled in his direction at his sudden words, but the blue-haired giant refused to look at her.

"I might have…worsened the situation," he mumbled this before standing up abruptly and heading back to the door. Akemi smiled slightly. She didn't mind that the problem she was stuck in had gotten worse. Aomine Daiki would always be on her side, and that was enough.

* * *

The next couple of days passed by slowly. Momoi had made up with Akemi, apologizing for the careless words that she'd spoken. "You should have said something," she kept muttering. If anything, the white-haired girl felt lucky to have Momoi as her friend. She didn't mind that the other girl couldn't speak and didn't look at her with pity either. Her classmates avoided her for the next couple of days, but Akemi didn't really mind that. At least they were leaving her alone now. Some of them even muttered a small 'sorry' as she passed by in the hallways.

During lunch time, Akemi was sitting alone on the rooftop when Aomine opened the door, muttering about teachers snd how they pissed him off. He saw the girl before clicking his tongue and climbing the ladder to the highest point of the roof.

Akemi ate slowly, enjoying the breeze. When she finished, she packed her lunch away. Hearing the warning bell, she was about to exit the roof when she remembered Aomine. Walking over to the wall, she climbed up the ladder and found Aomine lying on the floor, his eyes closed peacefully. The girl leaned over and shook his shoulder gently.

"Cut it out, Satsuki," she heard him grumble. The girl let out a silent giggle before poking him. He didn't move. She tugged on his hair, yet he still didn't get up. Akemi felt her impatience rising as Aomine stayed there, rigid as a statue, sleeping. She poked him hard in the stomach.

Aomine suddenly drew a deep breath and sat up. "What the hell?"

At his sudden reaction, amusement glittered in Akemi's eyes.

'The great Aomine Daiki is ticklish? Now that's something new…'

Aomine seemed to notice the mischief playing in the girl's golden orbs. "What the hell are you planning, brat?" he growled, staring at her.

Within seconds, Akemi had tackled Aomine to the floor and began tickling him.

"H-hey, cut it out…! Ahaha… Wait… Stop… No seriously…Hahahahaha…!"

Akemi grinned as Aomine struggled and laughed. This was the side of him that she hadn't seen in so long. Soon, Aomine seemed to adapt and managed to escape before he pinned the girl down on the floor.

"Payback, Tsubasa," he growled seductively. Akemi gulped and suddenly she felt his hands tickling her. She felt her silent laughter erupt from her throat as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"D-Dai-chan…" The two froze as the voice of a certain pinkette was heard. Momoi was standing there, shock evident in her eyes. If one looked at this position from afar, it was easy to misunderstand. And that was what Momoi had seen.

"S-Satsuki, you're misunderstanding!" Aomine seemed panicked, unlike his usual calm personality. One look at Momoi made it evident why. The manager of Too's basketball team had a dangerous aura around her. Though her lips were set in a smile, her eyes glimmered with rage.

"Oh my, Dai-can… Aren't you _eager_."

"Really! It's a misunderstanding!"

Akemi watched, amused, as Satsuki came over and punched Aomine in the stomach. "What are you doing, defiling Tsubasa-chan's purity like that," she hissed. She paused when she noticed her friend shaking with laughter on the sidelines.

Using her phone, Akemi typed out, _It was a misunderstanding. I tickled him and he was trying to get me back._

After reading those words, the furious aura around Momoi disappeared entirely. "Oh, if that was what it was, you should have told me earlier, Tsubasa-chan!"

Aomine groaned. "You had to go and punch me at a pressure point, did you?"

Momoi grinned. "But if I didn't, you wouldn't have been affected at all! Now then, Tsubasa-chan, let's get away from this monster and go to class!" And with that, Akemi was escorted out by Momoi, who was sending angry looks over her shoulder at Aomine Daiki, following the two of them to class.

* * *

That evening, when Akemi arrived in her room, she was greeted by a surprise. Sitting on her bed was her brother, Souta. She looked at him, confused.

"Onee-chan, please come home! Mommy and daddy are being mean to me!" Looking at the crying boy sitting on her bed, Akemi sighed a bit before embracing him lightly.

Souta was only 6 years old when she had gotten in the train accident. Because of her condition,s her parents decided to pressure him into becoming a perfect adult. He was forced to take business lessons, etiquette classes, and attend a private middle school. As a result, Souta had a hard time at home.

Akemi ran her hand through his short hair, calming him down. She waited until his breathing eased and his eyes drooped. Soon, he was fast asleep. The door to her room suddenly opened and her frantic mother rushed in.

"Souta! Oh my goodness, I thought you had been kidnapped!"

Akemi put a finger to her lips, signifying that her younger brother was asleep. Her mother pressed her lips into a straight line, nodding stiffly at her daughter. She told one of the guards that had come with her to bring Souta onto the car. When Souta had been carried out of the room, Akemi's mother stepped up to her and slapped her across the face.

"What in the world were you thinking, you useless child? Souta could have been anywhere! Why didn't you call first and tell me where he was?"

Akemi looked into her mother's enraged eyes. How did she expect her to answer her question? Calmly, she went over to her desk and picked up a whiteboard resting on it, writing onto it.

 _He was crying. He said that you and father were being mean to him. He wanted me to go home._

As her mother read those words, fury flashed across her face, distorting her pretty features.

"Don't you dare tell me things like that! We always think about Souta! And there is no way you are coming home. You are a terrible influence, you mute, incompetent girl!"

Even though her mother had said those words to her so many times, they still stung, Akemi recoiled slightly as her mother drew in a shaky breath before turning abruptly and exiting the room, slamming the door closed. Sighing, Akemi slid down the wall that she was unconsciously leaning against. She touched her stinging cheek gently before wincing and heading into the kitchen to get an ice pad. Then, she sat down on her couch and pulled out a book, resting her chin on a pillow. As the time ticked by, Akemi felt herself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"I…like you…"

A 13-year old Aomine stared down at the trembling white haired girl that was looking down at the floor.

"E-Excuse me?" he stammered, clearly surprised at the sudden confession. "Sorry, but what was your name again?"

The girl looked up at him, hurt by the obvious rejection. "W-Well… if you don't remember me then… never mind. I'm going now."

Aomine watched as the young girl ran across the platform, her long hair flowing out behind her like a curtain. Then suddenly, a train sped by.

"Watch out!" The girl was suddenly shoved across the platform and landed on the other side on her knees. As she turned, the accident happened.

In front of her was Aomine Daiki, caught in the middle of the train accident, blood pooling around him. Akemi's eyes widened with horror and she screamed.

'It's my fault…my fault…'

The girl stayed on the floor, numb with shock as an ambulance approached. People swarmed around her and a man dressed in white placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

He shook the girl's shoulder gently and she could only stare numbly at the scene before her. The young girl was still in a state of shock as the doctor helped her up and brought her into the ambulance. Upon arriving at the hospital, she sat outside the room that Aomine was in.

An hour later, an exhausted surgeon cam out. "He'll be alright," the man said, patting the girl on the shoulder. "Luckily, the train didn't hit him directly. The only problem was that he had a slight brain damage. I don't know what he will be like when he sees you."

A wave of relief washed over the girl and her dull eyes lighted up slightly. "W-when can I go in and see him?"

The doctor smiled. "He's awake right now, so it should be fine."

The girl drew a deep breath and entered the hospital room. Sitting on the bed was Aomine Daiki, staring out the window. He turned and looked at the girl.

"A-Aomine! Thank goodness…" The girl stepped toward the blue-haired youth.

"Who…are you?"

At those words, the girl stopped immediately. "A-Aomine?"

Golden orbs were drawn to the large bandage on his back. The bandage was slightly red. It was evident that there was an extremely deep wound there. If anything, there would be a permanent scar that not even surgery could fix.

'No.'

She didn't want this. A small confession had let to his injury. If only she hadn't said those words… If only she had been silent then none of this would have happened. Akemi felt her heart speed up and her throat constrict. Within seconds, her world went black.

* * *

Akemi's eyes opened wide at the sudden dream and she sat up, breathing harshly. She drew a deep shaky breath. As she ran her hand through her hair, only one thought ran through her head.

'What the hell was that?'

 **A/N: I don't own anything.**

 **Sorry that it took a little longer, but school's a bitch sometimes. I'm sure you understand, but we ave the day off tomorrow so hopefully I'll find the time to post another chapter. Next week there will most likely be no updates, seeing as I have a French literature paper, a Math and Chemic paper and a German paper. All after another!**

 **I hope you wish m luck and I'll see you guys hopefully soon in the next chapter. And don't forget to review!**

 **And remember, this is NOT my story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Akemi stared blankly at the melted ice lying on a puddle on her couch. As time passed by, she only felt herself becoming increasingly confused.

'What? What was that dream?'

A sudden ring from her cellphone startled the girl out of her dreamlike state. Picking up hesitantly, she glanced at the name flashing across the screen. It was Momoi. Picking up, she looked at the text she had sent her.

 _Tsubasa-chan? Dai-kun and all of the other basketball members are having lunch and it's lonely being the only girl here. Can you come? We're eating at Okashi's._

Akemi smiled slightly at the prospect of seeing her pink-haired friend, but the thought of Aomine made her forehead pound and her hands damp. The scene of him, who she'd always thought of as strong and invincible, crushed and bleeding flashed through her mind. She drew a shaky breath before replying.

 _Sorry, Momoi-san. I'm not feeling that well. See you tomorrow?_

Within seconds she saw Momoi's reply, telling her that she hoped that she would feel better soon. A feeling of relief washed over Akemi and she threw the mobile onto the table in front of her. Groaning, she got up and ran her hand through her messy hair, stretching slightly, Now there was only one remaining problem.

How the heck was she going to face Aomine?

* * *

Akemi stopped in front of her classroom door, praying that he wasn't sitting in his seat. The odds of him being there were pretty low in the first place. She took a deep breath before opening the door, her eyes flickering to the chair that he usually sat in.

He wasn't there.

The white-haired girl felt a sense of comfort at the thought that she wouldn't have to face him first thing in the morning. A small smile adorning her features as she was about to step into the classroom when-

"Oy."

Akemi's breath hitches at the sudden voice that sounded from behind her.

'Oh no. Oh no, oh no…'

The girl held her breath and continued walking forward, trying to act like she hadn't noticed anything. Sitting down, she smiled obliviously and nervously, staring straight ahead.

"Tch. Going to ignore me again, huh?" She felt the back of Aomine's knuckles rap on her head before the scraping of a chair against tile was heard. Scowling slightly, she pulled out her notebook for the day.

"Good morning, Tsubasa-chan~!" The door suddenly slammed open to reveal Momoi skipping into the classroom, a bright smile plastered on her face. She wrapped her friends in a smothering hug before placing her backpack down on her seat.

"Hey, Satsuki," Aomine drwled out, sounding bored. "What's up with you this morning? You're acting really creepy." Momoi pouted.

"I always act this way, Dai-chan! We do have a training camp coming up after all! I was practicing cooking all last night and I am positive I'm getting better!"

Akemi heard Aomine shift nervously. "O-oh. I see…"

Glancing at Momoi, the girl noticed the tense aura around her. She tilted her head to the side slightly, confused.

"Tsubasa-chan~! You know, the basketball club is going to go on a training camp this year to improve our team play! You should come along too- Well, I guess you need the coach's permission for that. I'll ask him about it later, okay?"

Akemi stared at her blankly, trying to process everything that she has just said. Going on a _training camp?_ With a club you weren't even _a part of?_ Was that even allowed?

The bell then rang and her homeroom teacher entered the classroom, silencing the talkative students. "Okay, everyone, settle down…" And with that the class sank into its usual stupor and Akemi began taking her notes once again.

* * *

After school, Akemi stood outside of the school gym. The sound of squeaking basketball shoes and the yelling of the captain was heard from behind the double doors. Nervously, the girl opened the door and glanced inside.

"Tsubasa-chan~!" An enthusiastic pinkette spotted the head of white hair cowering by the door and ran over to her friends, grabbing her hands and practically dragging her into the gym.

"Everyone~! This is Tsubasa Akemi! She's going to come with us on our training camp to cook meals for us~!" Many eyes swiveled in the direction of Momoi's voice. Akemi flushed heavily at the sudden attention Momoi drew to her.

"Don't worry, Tsubasa-chan~! The coach said you could come if you would cook for us. I wanted to do that, but oh well…"

"You're noisy, Satsuki," a voice grumbled from the bleachers, making Akemi instinctively turn. Aomine Daiki was sprawled across the seat, draining water from a water bottle. "You don't have to say that. We all know already, the coach mentioned it to us."

Satsuki frowned. "I know that already! But I wanted to say it, after all, I invited Tsubasa-chan," she whined and wrapped her arms around Akemi's midsection before grabbing her arms and dragging the girl away from the rest of the group. When she was a good couple feet away from them, she took a deep breath and placed her hands on her friend's shoulders.

"You can cook right?"

Akemi couldn't help but crack a smile at the sudden question. When she had been small, her grandma had often taught her cooking when staying at her house during the summer. She had been one of the few people that were nice to her, but she died when Akemi was six. The girl inclined her head, signifying that she could cook.

"Thank goodness," Momoi breathed a sigh of relief. "The coach was saying that the person I invited had to be able to cook. Not that I can't I men." She smiled brightly at her friend before giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Why don't you watch the team practice while you're waiting?"

As Momoi turned and ran back to the court, Akemi leaned on a nearby wall and sat down slowly. Her eyes flashed across the court, drinking in the details of the team playing in front of her.

To put it simply, they were a poor team. Akemi could notice that they were making efforts to pass to each other and such, but the looks in theirs eyes told her that they were not accustomed to this kind of play. A glance at each of the players told her they were strong individually, but they couldn't play as 'one'. She could only assume that they were trying to get used to it and to build confidence in one another. The girl felt amusement bubbling up in her chest as she watched one of the players attempt to shoot before changing their mind mid-jump and trying to pass to another player, failing miserably.

As her eyes continued to scan the room, Akemi noticed Momoi, conflict swirling in her pink orbs. She noticed the girl's hesitation as she glanced at Aomine, who was still lounging on he bleachers. Clearly, she wanted Aomine to go and get used to the team play if they wanted to stand a chance against Seirin next year. Momoi continued to stare at the blue-haired giant, before Akemi felt that she should just go and approach him. Huffing, she stood up and marched straight up to his face.

 _In front of her was Aomine Daiki, caught in the middle of the train accident, blood pooling around him._

 _Her eyes widened with horror and she screamed._

Akemi drew a shaky breath, her steps faltering, doing her best to push the scene that suddenly flashed through her mind away. Aomine turned at the sound of her footsteps, his midnight blue eyes clashing with hers.

 _"Who…are you?"_

Akemi felt her palms becoming damp as she neared him. Taking another breath, she grabbed onto his sleeve, pointing at the court.

"The hell?" she heard him mutter under his breath as he ignored her and turned away. Akemi felt annoyance override her uneasy feeling for a split second. But a glance at his back made that feeling come back - tenfold. She saw a scar slashed diagonally across his toned muscles, standing out against his dark skin. Even from under his jersey she could make out the shape of the wound.

 _If anything, there would be a permanent scar that not even surgery could fix._

She felt it again. The choking sensation. Trapped. Suddenly, the smothering sensation of being suffocated once again overwhelmed her body. She gasped before falling down onto the floor, clutching at her chest.

"O-oy, why are you…?" Aomine had turned towards the girl again, noticing she'd collapsed on the floor by him. A small scream from the other side of the gym alerted her Akemi of Momoi's presence nearing her.

"C-call a nurse from the infirmary!" she said before rushing over by the fallen girl's side, running a hand down her back, attempting to ease her breathing. A spasm passed through Akemi's body and she shuddered involuntarily.

'Just how long is this torture going to last?'

Suddenly, she felt large arms wrap around her waist and legs. She felt herself being cradled against someone.

"You guys are all so damn slow. I'm taking her to the infirmary."

Akemi felt her vision fading as her breathing began to ease slightly. She inhaled a familiar scent and uttered one small word.

"Aomine…"

And as quiet as that word was, and though she was unaware that she had managed to speak aloud, her small voice caused a certain giant to freeze up.

"T-Tsubasa?"

* * *

Golden eyes flickered open. As Akemi's vision gradually adjusted to the dim light in the room, she found herself staring up at a white ceiling.

'Where am I?'

"You're in the infirmary," a deep voice replied to her unvoiced question. Turning her head, the girl saw Aomine sitting on a corner near her bed, a magazine in his hand. She eyed the small pamphlet that he held and snorted. Even after 4 years, he hadn't changed at all. he was still the same stupid pervert that he'd been in middle school.

Aomine noticed the girl's expression before smirking. "What, jealous?" he teased. Akemi scowled before attempting to climb out of the bed. Placing one unsteady foot on the white tiles of the infirmary, she suddenly felt herself lurch forward, falling. She shut her eyes, preparing herself for the impact.

A sudden clash of a chair alerted her of the movement of the blue-haired boy. She felt a pair of muscular arms encircle her waist as Aomine stopped her fall.

"Careful, Tsubasa."

A sudden blush painted her face bright red and she found herself unable to do anything. Leaning up against his muscular figure, she remembered the day when he had caught her when she had tripped down the stairs. Her eyes flickered up to his face and she saw him staring back at her.

"Hey, Tsubasa… Do I know you?"

Suddenly, the infirmary door crashed open, making Akemi and Aomine leap to opposite sides of the room. "Tsubasa-chan! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Akemi saw Momoi running towards her for a split second before she was encased in a bear hug. "You have no idea how worried I was!"

Akemi only smiled lightly before returning Momoi's hug a bit. Momoi grinned and sat down on the bed before her attention suddenly diverted to Aomine.

"Dai-chan, are you blushing?"

Momoi's sudden comment made Akemi's eyes flicker towards Aomine's towering figure. Indeed, on his face, was a tinge of bright red.

"Shut up Satsuki," he grunted, picking up his fallen magazine. The pinkette's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Aomine uprighted the fallen stool.

"What were you doing with Tsubasa-chan before I came in here, Dai-chan?"

A sudden crash of metal meeting the floor told the white-haired girl that Aomine had dropped the chair on the floor again.

"N-nothing!"

Despite the situation, Akemi couldn't help but giggle silently. The great Aomine Daiki was stuttering and blushing! How rare.

"Dai-chan, you didn't do anything… _naughty_ …with her while I wasn't looking, were you?"

The suggestive comment that Momoi dropped left Akemi flaming red. Aomine choked.

"W-we were NOT," he retorted. "Shut the hell up!"

Momoi grinned. "Great~! Because Tsubasa-han is mine~!" She tackled the other girl in another hug before dragging her out the door, leaving a flushed, clumsy Aomine alone in the infirmary.

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **So, I found some time and here's the next chapter. Never thought that Aomine would be able to blush….**

 **Anyway, read and review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was a considerably sunny day when the basketball club was heading towards their destination for a training camp: the beach. Akemi trailed behind the rest of the group as they boarded a bus that the school had rented.

"Tsubasa-chan~!" Akemi felt a sudden weight on her back as a certain pinkette hugged her from behind. "Are you ready to go swimming?" The withe-haired girl only stared at her confused. Wasn't it supposed to be a training camp?

"Oy, Satsuki." Aomine walked up behind the two of them. "We're going to train, not to have fun."

Momoi pouted. "I know, Dai-chan~! But Tsubasa-chan and I get to play since we're just tagging along~!" Momoi squealed enthusiastically as she pulled her friend onto the bus by her hands. "Don't worry Tsubasa-chan~! I pick out a really cute swimsuit fro you too!" The girl only smiled slightly as she listened to Momoi's excited chattering. It had been a long time since she had last got to go anywhere fun, so she was looking forward to the trip.

Aomine grunted and climbed onto the bus after the two girls. "What a hassle," he mumbled. As lazy as he was, Momoi had forced him to go to the training camp with the rest of the team. Momoi giggles as she sat down next to Akemi in one of the bus seats. The rest of the team was already situated on the bus as Momoi rummaged in her bag, looking for something.

"Hey, Tsubasa-chan, you should carry a notepad and a pen around regularly. It would be easier for you to communicate you know…" The pinkette suddenly pulled out a small notepad and handed it to her friend. A small smile appeared on Akemi's face and she scribbles down the words 'thank you' on the paper.

Momoi read what her friend had written before hugging her tightly. "You're so cute, Akemi-chan~!" She buried her face into the other girl's chest she Akemi felt her neck turn warm at the comment.

"Satsuki, shut up already," a low voice grumbled from behind their seats. Akemi peeked over the top of her seat to see Aomine with his eyes half closed, glaring at the two of them.

"Aww, Dai-chan… You're just jealous that I'm closer to Akemi-chan than you are, aren't you?" Momoi grinned as Aomine's eyes narrowed.

"Don't say such things, Satsuki," Aomine yawned. "That brat is just a nuisance…"

"You say that, but you only agreed to come when the coach agreed to have Tsubasa-chan attend~! You're worried that she'd collapse again, right? How adorable, Dai-chan~!" Momoi smirked teasingly as a light shade of pink dusted Aomine's cheeks. "You even carried her to the infirmary a couple of days ago…"

"Yeah, and she was damn heavy," Aomine grumbles under his breath. Akemi kicked his leg from under her seat, making him wince. Aomine grumbled, glaring at her. "Oy, that hurt." The girl smiled innocently at him before turning back to face to the front. Momoi smiled lightly at her childish behavior.

'This is going to be a long training camp…'

* * *

"Gather around, everyone!"

The entire basketball team had arrived at the beach after an hour of being on the bus. Upon arriving, it took an hour to actually find the inn the team was supposed to be staying at. Akemi and Momoi were both sitting in the shade of an umbrella, watching the rest of the team play basketball in the sand.

As the team sprinted back and forth on the beach's basketball court, Akemi felt her eyes being drawn to Aomine, who was grumbling the entire time about how hot it was. With the sun beating down, she couldn't imagine how torturous it must be to have her bare feet come into contact with the burning sand. She let a small sigh escape her parted lips and felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of her neck. She was amazed that the basketball team was able to continue in this heat. She had only been outside for thirty minutes and she was beginning to regret not having brought cooler clothing. Her shirt was starting to cling to her, making her feel uncomfortable. She stood up eventually, unable to stand the suffocating heat any more. Momoi noticed her rising figure and turned to look at the girl.

"Oh, Tsubasa-chan? Do you want to get changed now? It's getting really warm and I've collected enough data for today anyways…"

Akemi nodded and smiled at Momoi before bending over and offering her hand which the other girl took. Her movements caught the attention of Aomine, who muttered something about safety. Momoi glared at him.

"You know, Dai-chan, if you're worried then you should just say so. Plus, we're just going down to the beach. There's nothing to be worried about~!" Momoi grinned cheekily at Aomine's flustered expression.

"I-I was not worried, dumbass," Aomine grumbled before turning back to focus his attention on the court.

Akemi fought the smile that was appearing on her lips. Sometimes, she found herself seeing the side of Aomine that had disappeared when he became better at basketball that she'd missed so much. She knew that Aomine treated people that he worried about differently; though it was hard to tell the difference at first, if one got to know him, one could see that he was softer towards the people that he cared about.

Momoi stuck out her tongue at Aomine before pulling the white-haired girl towards the inn. "You should be worried, Dai-chan! It won't be my fault if Tsubasa-chan gets hit on because she looks sexy in her swimsuit!"

Akemi blushed, but a silent giggle escaped her lips when she saw Aomine trip and fall at Momoi's words.

* * *

Akemi shifted uncomfortably, pulling at the strap of the bikini top that Momoi had given her. Under normal occasions, she avoided wearing anything that clung closely to her figure. If she had known that the weather would be this suffocating, she would have brought her own swimsuit.

The door was suddenly pushed open to reveal Momoi, dressed in a teal two piece. She stared at her friend for a minute before a wide grin spread out on her face.

"Tsubasa-chan~! You look so nice in that swimsuit! You should let me pick out your clothes more often!" Akemi felt arms surround her neck as Momoi wrapped her in a hug. She flushed slightly at her comment before she was dragged out of the door. Akemi squirmed and grabbed onto Momoi's arm, trying to hide behind her. Momoi only giggled at the girl's actions. "Don't worry, Tsubasa-chan~! You don't have to be so shy…"

Suddenly, Akemi felt an intense gaze burn into her back. Flinching, she turned around slowly and found herself face to face with Aomine Daiki. Momoi looked at where her gaze was directed, noticing the rest of the basketball team sitting nearby, taking in deep gulps of air.

"Are you guys on your break already? Well, I'll go grab some water bottles for you guys, so just wait a bit."

Akemi felt her face turn red as navy blue eyes raked across her figure. Aomine smirked.

"Nine out of ten. Not bad."

Her mouth dropped open slightly at his blunt comment before she kicked him hard in the leg and ran off to the water fountain. Momoi sighed as she eyed Aomin rubbing his leg, grumbling.

"You really shouldn't go around rating girls randomly like that, Dai-chan… They'll come to hate you…"

"Shut up, Satsuki."

The two girls were sitting on a bench under a shady tree at the beach. Akemi let out a sigh of contentment as a salty breeze blew through her hair.

"Hey, Tsubasa-chan, do you want me to put some sunscreen on your back?"

Akemi nodded before lying down on the blanket. She sighed in contentment as she felt the cold sunscreen come into contact with her spine. She shivered as she felt the gazes of several boys staring at her and Momoi. The pinkette frowned.

"Don't worry, Tsubasa-chan," she murmured. "I don't think that any of them are brave enough to approach you anyways. They won't do anything, especially with him around." She finished applying the sunscreen and screwed the cap back on the bottle.

Akemi looked up at her pink-haired friend, confused. Suddenly, a large shadow shielded the sun from her face. She peered up to see Aomine Daiki towering over her. Momoi grined when she noticed the blue-haired giant.

"Oh my, what a surprise! Why are you here, Dai-chan?" Her voice was laced with playful sarcasm and it was obvious she knew the reason for Aomine's appearance.

Akemi stood up, glaring at him. The look in her eyes was clearly challenging. Aomine stared at her for a bit before his eyes dropped downwards. She felt heat creep up her neck and her face became bright red. She crossed her arms over her chest before turning around abruptly with a toss of her head. Suddenly, she felt something soft come into contact with her head. She reached up and found Aomine's T-shirt on her head. Looking up at him, she tilted her head, confused.

"Wear it, damnit. Or do you want all of those guys to stare at you?"

She pouted. She did not want to wear a T-shirt when it was so hot. Grabbing it, she threw it back in Aomine's face.

"Tch. Whatever," Aomine grumbled before shooting one of the guys staring at the girl a glare.

"Aw, Dai-chan… You should just tell her that you don't want boys checking her out," Momoi giggled and stood up. "I'm going to go back now!" And she walked away, leaving Akemi flustered, standing alone with the blue-haired ace.

* * *

Akemi was currently in the kitchen, chopping up some carrots that she was going to sauté with chicken for dinner. A small smile formed on her lips as she relished in the familiar calmness of cooking in a kitchen with delicious smells floating around the room.

"Hey, give me some of that."

She felt a muscular figure suddenly press up against her back. Her back tensed as she recognized Aomine who had entered the kitchen to grab something to eat. A tanned arm reached over her head and grabbed an onigiri off of the plate of rice ball she'd made. She elbowed him in the stomach before shooting him a glare.

"You can be really violent," Aomine grumbled before stuffing the rice ball into his mouth. He stayed silent for a moment and Akemi fidgeted, half hoping that he would compliment her cooking.

"What a surprise… You can actually cook."

The girl felt a twinge of anger run through her system.

"Hey, give me some more," she heard him say before he reached back over again, grabbing another rice ball. His action only fueled her annoyance and she grabbed the onigiri out of his hand. Aomine scowled before backing her up against the wall.

"That was mine, Tsubasa."

Akemi gulped nervously as he towered over her, slamming his fist above her head. She closed her eyes for a split second and the rice ball was gone from her hands. Aomine sat down on the kitchen counter, munching on the stolen food.

Pouting, the girl got back to pick up the knife and resumed her task of cutting up carrots. When she finished, she dumped the vegetable into a pan together with some chicken before starting to fry the two. A delicious aroma filled the room as she finished her cooking and poured the side dish on a plate. Grabbing two platters, she brought them out of the door and set them down on a table outside. She frowned at the sight of Aomine lazing around the kitchen, staring at her. Pursing her lips, Akemi reached out to pick up another dish, only to be cut by the sharp edge of a chipped side.

Flinching, she withdrew her hand. She had forgotten that there was a plate that had been slightly damaged. She winced and noticed blood coming out of the small wound. The sight of the red fluid dripping down her finger made her head pound slightly. She hated the sight of blood more than anything, especially after she had that dream about the train accident. She grimaced, holding her throbbing head.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop standing around like an idiot and get that treated already."

In a few footstep, Aomine had grabbed her petite hands and was busy examining the wound. She blushed as he suddenly put her fingers in his mouth, sucking on the wound gently.

"What?" Aomine grumbled when he saw the girl's flustered expression. "You're getting blood on the floor you know. Satsuki's gonna freak. Where the hell are the bandaids?"

She watched as he stalked out of the kitchen, going through some of the cabinets in an attempt to find a first aid kit. Akemi's heart thudded against her rib cage violently, to the point where it felt painful. She drew in a gulp of air, trying to relieve her nervousness. She could only think one thought as her eyes followed Aomine's retreating back.

'Damn that arrogant, sly bastard.'

 **A/N: I don't own anything.**

 **Here's the next chapter and we're almost through half the story. So just a little longer and I will have it all corrected and re-typed. Hope you don't mind the wait, but school's really busy right now. Only one word: tests.**

 **Luckily, we have vacation the week after the next week, so I'll hopefully be able to update more often. Anyway, hope you guys keep on reading and stick till the end.**

 **Not my story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A couple of hours ago, the entire basketball team had intruded upon Akemi's room, which happened to be one of the largest ones in the inn. Momoi wasn't planning to stay in the inn since she lived nearby. Because there was a television sitting on the table in front of the girl's bed, the team had entered, made themselves comfortable and promptly inserted a movie disk into the video player. And of course, they had to select a horror movie.

Akemi absolutely _hated_ horror movies.

The first time she had been exposed to the nature of the gruesome tales of horror when she'd been five. She'd been at school with her friends, innocent and carefree for the most part. Then one day, a boy brought a movie to school for show-and-tell. The teacher had decided to play the movie and go slack off in the teacher's lounge. Little did he know, the boy's elder brother had hissed a rated R horror movie inside. She hadn't been able to sleep at all for an entire week after having watched that movie.

Akemi had curled herself up as tiny as possible in the corner of the room furthest from the television, flinching whenever a scream was heard from the dvd player, usually followed by the sound of splattering blood. her face paled when she opened her eyes ever so slightly to see how much of the movie was left before she covered her ears, burying her face in her knees. She had her eyes closed for a long time before the music in the background finally faded away.

The girl opened one of her eyes just slightly to confirm the movie was over. And that one second her eyes were open, she saw a distorted bloody face launch onto the screen with a knife stained with red liquid before the screen turned black. Her lips uttered a silent scream before she once again hid her face in her knees, frozen in place as chattering began to break out among the rest of the basketball team.

"Hey you. What the hell are you doing?" Akemi felt a warm hand pat her shoulder none too gently. "Don't tell me that movie actually scared you, did it?"

She'd reached her limit.

Within the next five seconds, Akemi had practically thrown herself onto Aomine and buried her face in his chest, her body shivering, tears trickling down her face.

"Oy."

She flinched slightly when she recognized the voice, but the thoughts of the movie drowned out her ability to think straight.

"Let go of me, damnit."

Akemi shook her head stubbornly before wrapping her trembling arms around Aomine's waist, taking in fistfuls of his shirt, drawing in shaky breaths. She felt herself calming down slightly as the basketball team started to stretch after sitting in the floor for two hours, ignoring the girl and Aomine. The room eventually became silent as the rest of them exited it, a couple of them saying a small 'good night'.

Eventually, only her and Aomine were left.

A silence stretched between the two of them as Akemi's sobs eventually subsided and she finally released her death grip on Aomine's shirt. Aomine sighed as he ran a hand through the girls white locks, tugging slightly at the ends.

"Calmed down yet?" he grumbled, disgruntled by the close proximity. Akemi flushed slightly as she pushed herself off of him, giving him a small apologetic smile.

"Then I'm going now."

His sudden words made her eyes widen as she watched as he turned to walk out the door. She instinctively grabbed onto the back of his shirt before letting go immediately when he stopped and turned around, eyebrows raised at her sudden action. Akemi's face turned red and her eyes flickered across he room before she settled on staring at his feet, hoping that they would force the blue-haired giant to turn around and leave the room if she willed hard enough. A low chuckle startled her out of her thoughts and she looked up slightly to see Aomine, a ghost of a smile he used to have in middle school on his face.

"If you were scared of the damn movie you should have just said so," he said, his smile disappearing as quickly as it had come. Instead, a cocky smirk replaced the smile and he turned around before exiting the room, leaving her alone.

* * *

Akemi had been planning on going to sleep, bit she found it impossible. For an hour, she lay awake in the darkness, the only sounds being the ticking of the clock and the beating of her heart. She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to erase the horrendous image that she had seen on the television screen. After a while, she finally managed to drift off to sleep.

Yet an hour later, she found herself awake, tears streaming down her face, her chest heaving in attempt to force air into her lungs. She sat up abruptly, trying to get rid of the chocking sensation in her throat. It was that again. That dream, even more vivid than before. But the one scene that was burned into her mind was the one that she wished she could forget.

'Aomine. Aomine. Aomine…'

The girl opened her mouth and silent, familiar syllables slipped off of her tongue. Unexpectedly, she heard a voice.

"Aomine…"

Akemi froze. She had not expected herself to speak and the very thought, as wonderful as the prospect was, scared her. Why now, of all times?

A sudden rattling of the window screen made her whip her head around, startled. Staring through the window was a pair of crimson eyes, the color of blood. She stared back at the figure outside of her room for about a minute.

And then she screamed.

Had it been any other day, she would have noticed that her voice was back, though not very strong. But currently, with the horrors of the movie she had watched and the shocking sight of someone standing outside her window, she couldn't have cared less. Akemi jumped immediately out of bed, flung the door open and was about to run down the corridor before she bumped into something. Or someone.

"O-oy, calm down."

The white-haired girl looked up to see a familiar pair of midnight blue eyes looking down at her. With a choked cry, she grabbed onto his shirt before her legs decided to give out and she collapsed on the floor.

"…Someone…outside…" she breathed out faintly, tears streaming down her face. She let out a small moan before burying her face in her knees, trying to rid herself of the image she had seen. Aomine walked briskly past the girl's figure before looking out the window.

"No one's there. You're imagining things."

When Akemi refused to move, Aomine let out a small sigh. A small squeak of surprise escaped her lips as Akemi felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist as he picked her up.

"I would ask how the hell you are speaking perfectly fine right now if it weren't for the fact that you are frightened out of your mind," Aomine grumbled, dropping the girl back onto her bed. "You did it before, you know. Talking."

Akemi's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she finally registered the fact that she had managed to speak. Aomine snorted at her expression.

"What, are you so dumb you still haven't realized this?"

The girl shot him a glare before her mouth opened in retort.

"Shut up."

She laughed at how ridiculous the notion was of her voice coming back so suddenly. Aomine frowned for a moment, rubbing at his temples. She opened her mouth again, wanting to say something else before a hand clamped over her face.

"Be quiet. Hearing you speak makes my head hurt," Aomine grumbled before sitting down next to her on the bed.

Akemi pouted before letting out a sigh she realized she'd been holding onto for a long moment. She climbed under her blankets, shivering as her skin came into contact with the cold fabric. The girl grabbed into a large, tan hand just as Aomine was about to leave. She flushed slightly when she realized what she'd done again. Instinctively, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully that night.

"Stay with me? Please?" she said in a quiet voice. Aomine only stared at her before letting out a sigh.

"Alright then. Until you fall asleep, okay?" The giant sat down on her bed, grumbling slightly, his hand still intertwined with hers. Akemi smiled lightly as she felt a warmth spread across her palm and she closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Aomine…"

Those were the last words she said before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Akemi woke up in a very troubling situation. A pair of arms were snaked around her waist, pulling her up against a muscular chest. She felt a chin on top of her head and heard the steady breathing of a certain individual behind her. A blush rose on her cheeks when she realized that Aomine had somehow ended up in her bed. The girl tried to get up, only to be forced back down by the legs that had been entangled with hers. She felt the pounding of her heart increase as his grip around her waist suddenly tightened, forcing her to be drawn closer to his chest.

"A-Aomine…"

Her voice was extremely faint and hard to hear. She tried to push herself away from the blue-haired teen, but found herself unable to. She squirmed around a bit only to have herself be pulled more into the embrace of the ace. Curses flew through her head as she attempted to free herself from his grasp before she finally let out a sigh and gave up. Akemi spent the rest of the time trying to calm down the frenzied beating of her heart.

When Aomine woke up, Akemi had been halfway out of his death grip. He yawned, stretching lazily.

"Good mornin'. You make a good pillow, Tsubasa."

Akemi felt a vein twitch in her head at his words before she let out a huff of air and turned her head away from him to hide the embarrassment shining on her face. A creak of the bed alerted her of the giant shifting slightly. She was bout to get up when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back under the blankets again, making her squeal.

"Let me sleep a bit more, would you?" Akemi heard him growl into her ear, making her turn bright red.

"N-no! Let me go, Aomine!" She squealed slightly as he suddenly tickles her abdomen, making her laugh. She was struggling to escape his grasp when the door suddenly opened and a certain pinkette entered the room.

"Good morning, Tsubasa-chan~! Did you sleep well? I heard you watched a horror movie last night. Goodness, I can't stand those-"

Momoi froze when she spotted Aomine and the white-haired girl entangled on a bed.

Together.

Under the blankets.

Let's just say she did not quite like what she saw.

* * *

That morning, Aomine was sporting various bruises all over his face while Akemi was sitting in between him and Momoi for breakfast. She let out a small sigh of satisfaction as she took a bite out of the toast and jam before turning over to Aomine, smirking.

"Looks like you shouldn't have messed with me, eh, Aomine?" the girl said in a strained voice.

Her voice had come back, much to Akemi's surprise, and it hadn't gone away yet. This had happened several times in the past, but each time it would be gone again in an hour or two. She decided to attempt some voice exercises later in the day. She remembered the shock earlier on Momoi's face when she had spoken in an attempt t calm her down.

"Shut up. Like I said, it makes my head hurt to hear you talk," Aomine grumbled, wincing as he placed a hand over a bruise on his cheek. "Get me a damn ice pack. These things hurt like hell."

Momoi grinned contently as she took a sip of the milk that Akemi had warmed up for her earlier. A sigh escaped the white-haired girl's lips as she got up and headed to the kitchen to grab an ice pack for the grumbling giant. A sudden presence behind her told her that Aomine had followed her into the room.

It was a silent process, getting the ice pack out of the refrigerator. However, this only made the girl more aware of his presence and she found herself being increasingly self-conscious. Akemi reached out a hand, holding out the ice pack in front of her. Aomine took it before pushing it up against one of his bruises. She stole a glance up at him and it startled her when she found piercing midnight blue eyes staring down into her own.

"Are you sure that we haven't met before, Tsubasa? Because I swear we've met before. You seem so familiar, yet I can't put my finger on it…"

Akemi shook her head nervously as her palms broke out into nervous sweat. Aomine let out a small sigh before grumbling about wanting eggs and exiting the kitchen, leaving her alone.

The girl tried to calm the pounding of her heart to no avail. After he time she had spent with Aomine, she found it flooding back; the memories of when the two of them always hug out the times when he would give her special treatment. It made her feel different from his other friends and she liked that. She had fallen for the blue-haired giant quite hard an the day she'd decided to confess to him had broken her for days. Not only had she been rejected, he had been severely injured.

Yet, as she stayed with him more, she found herself falling for him all over again. His personality had changed, but he was still the same old Daiki. If there was anything that pained her more, it was the immense guilt she felt whenever she heard him as that question.

 _"Do I know you?"_

Akemi was fully aware that she should stay away from the male. He was someone she liked a lot, someone that she loved even. But she couldn't erase the damage that she'd done to him. The scar on his back was proof of that. The girl swallowed thickly as she tried to pacify the thudding of her heart against her rib cage.

'What should I do to make this feeling disappear?'

 **A/N: I don't own anything.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

After breakfast, the basketball team was heading towards the gym to practice and warm up. Momoi had dragged Akemi along to help the team with their teamwork. She was trailing behind Aomine who was at the end of the group. Suddenly, Aomine's eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked in front of him and a low growl escaped his lips. Akemi's eyes followed his and she found herself looking at a tall redhead walking down the hallway in the opposite direction.

It were his eyes that startled the girl more than anything. They were a crimson red. The same color of the eyes she'd seen last night outside her window. Akemi shuddered and grabbed onto Aomine's shirt, hiding behind him.

"What's your problem?" he grumbled as he directed his gaze onto the smaller girl.

"T-Those eyes… He was outside of my room last night," she stuttered quietly. Aomine frowned.

"Are you saying that Kagami's a stalker?"

A sudden voice from behind her made Akemi jump. She turned around abruptly and found herself face to face with a boy with messy sky blue hair.

"E-eep!" A small squeal escaped her lips as her eyes widened in recognition.

"It's good to see you again, Tsubasa-san." Kuroko smiled lightly at the girl's reaction. "And you too, Aomine-kun."

"What the hell is Seirin doing here?" Aomine growled.

"We're here to train, of course," the bluenette responded. A sudden hand covered Kuroko's head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"Aomine," a gruff voice spoke, nodding slightly at the blue-haired ace. Akemi looked up to see the redhead from earlier standing behind Kuroko.

"Kagami." Aomine nodded slightly, acknowledging the redhead's presence. The boy named Kagami turned his eyes onto the petite female, making mer squeak and shrink further behind Aomine.

"Who the hell is this, Kuroko?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the white-haired girl.

"Tsubasa Akemi. She used to go to Teiko. She actually plays a bit of basketball. Aomine-kun taught her before-" Akemi lunged forward and placed her hand over Kuroko's mouth, making it impossible for him to say any more. She looked up at Aomine nervously and gulped when he narrowed his eyes.

"Oy, Tetsu. What do you mean I taught her? I don't remember anything about this brat."

Akemi laughed nervously, grabbing Aomine's arm and tugging him after the rest of the team who had managed to get quite a bit ahead of them.

"What are you talking about, Kuroko-san? I hardly play basketball- I mean, let's go, Aomine! The team is going to wait for you," the girl said before pulling Aomine away from the pair. Aomine scowled.

"Tsubasa, let my arm go."

She froze, turning around ever so slightly to see Aomine glaring at her.

"I want some answers, so I'll get some answers. What the hell is my connection with you?" he demanded.

The girl flinched at his harsh tone before letting go of his arm and backing up a bit. Aomine slammed his fist over her head, making her wince as she heard it connect with the wall. She refused to look at him and her eyes met Kuroko's. She pleaded for him to save her silently, hoping that he would get the message. A sudden voice behind the two of them prevented Aomine from saying anything else.

"Dai-chan, Tsubasa-chan, hurry up! Everyone's already in the gym waiting…" Momoi's voice trailed off when she saw Kuroko and Kagami and a squeal erupted from her throat.

"Tetsu-kun~! I wanted to see you~!" Momoi ran forward and threw her arms around Kuroko. Akemi took the opportunity to slip from under Aomine's arm and walked away as quickly as possible.

She finally arrived in the gym and saw the rest of the team practicing a couple of drills. Sitting down at the side of the court, she let out a small sigh as she watched the team sprint back and forth across the court. The sight made her feel a pang of nostalgia, reminding her of the days when Aomine would be grinning and waving at her as he dribbled the basketball.

Bickering in the hallway alerted Akemi of Momoi and Aomine approaching the gym. She snapped her head around when she heard more footsteps than she had anticipated and saw another basketball team entering the room; Seirin. Momoi ran over to her with a smile on her face before wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

"Tsubasa-chan, we're gonna have some practice matches with Seirin today~! Isn't that exciting?" she squealed. Akemi offered her a light-hearted smile before turning her attention to Aomine who was striding onto the court.

It took no genius to conclude that the blue-haired ace had changed since middle school. He had grown taller now, she noticed and his figure had become considerably muscular. Akemi watched as he stretched his arms, talking to Kuroko and Kagami. A small smile made its way onto her lips as she watched him turn and wave at her.

He wasn't grinning like he used to in middle school, but the sight still made her happy.

* * *

The three days at the camp had flown by quickly and before she knew it, Akemi was back home. The camp wasn't something that was supposed to last long - just until the long weekend ended. After a night's rest, the entire basketball team was supposed to return to school again.

But for some reason, Akemi got sick.

A cough escaped her lips and the girl sighed as she lay feverishly on the bed. She opened her eyes groggily and looked at the time. School had started an hour ago and she was stuck in bed, too weak to move an inch, even to get some water. She groaned and rolled over before coughing again.

Her phone vibrated and she reached out a hand to garb it, only to miss and knock over a glass on the counter by her bed. The white head sighed before reaching and successfully enclosing her hand around the vibrating device and flipped the screen open. A small smile graced her lips as she saw the message that she'd received from Momoi.

 _Tsubasa-chan, are you okay? I haven't seen you at school today and Dai-chan is really, really worried._

Akemi replied, saying that she was stuck in bed with a cold before placing the phone down and groaning again. She forced herself out of her bed, dragging her feet to the kitchen to get some water.

She had no idea why she had suddenly caught a cold. Grabbing a cup, she poured herself some water and drank the fluid quickly. Her nightgown was clinging to her and it was really becoming annoying. She reached up to put the glass away before opening the door to her living quarters leading outside to let in some cool air.

For a minute, she relished in the breeze blowing across her face before shivering and sneezing. Cursing inwardly, she closed the door again and walked back into her bedroom. She saw her phone vibrating again and picked it up to see another message from Momoi.

 _Can you tell me your address? I want to stop by and visit later._

Akemi tiredly typed in her address before sending the message to the pinkette. Then she leaned over and picked up the glass that she had dropped earlier. Shuffling back to the kitchen, she reached up to place the glass in one of the cabinets before she suddenly felt dizzy.

The sound of the glass shattering on the kitchen tiles was the last thing she heard before she collapsed and passed out.

* * *

Akemi barely registered herself being carried to her bed and the grumbling of a certain male as she was covered with a blanket. A cold cloth was placed over her forehead and she felt herself relaxing under the coolness of the compress. It wasn't until an hour later that she suddenly woke up and found herself staring into a pair of midnight blue eyes.

"Finally awake, huh?" Aomine muttered before heaving a sigh and reaching over to replace the cold compress on her forehead.

"You scared the shit out of my. What the hell were you thinking, passing out on the floor like that?"

Akemi gave the teen a weak smile before coughing slightly. Aomine frowned before reaching over and handing her some water, which she accepted gratefully.

"I thought you were supposed to be in school…" Her voice was getting quieter and quieter and she felt a frown make its way onto her face.

"I skipped. Big deal, they can't kick me out. They need me on the basketball team."

Akemi glared at his cocky attitude before coughing again. Aomine smirked.

"You should be grateful I'm here, you know. I nearly got cut cleaning up that glass on the kitchen floor."

She shot him another glare before trying to get up, but a pair of arms pushed her back under the blankets.

"What do you want? I'll go get it for you," the ace said and she couldn't help but crack a smile at how disdainful his expression was.

"I brought some food from the convenience store too, if you want it."

"How did you get here anyway?" Akemi questioned and Aomine frowned.

"Your door was unlocked. Be more careful, woman. You could have been robbed." She remembered forgetting to lock the door earlier and sighed, turning around in her bed.

"Well, if you don't want anything else, then I'm going to-"

"Stay." She immediately grabbed onto Aomine's sweater and turned around to face him. "Don't leave me alone," she mumbled. Aomine smirked again.

"What, love me so much you don't want me to leave?" He grinned as her face turned red. And it wasn't because of the fever.

"S-Shut up…"

"Calm down, I'm only going to get the porridge." Aomine stood up and headed to her kitchen, returning a while later with a bowl of steaming porridge to you.

"I-I can feed myself!" Akemi stuttered, flustered. A tinge of red appeared on the ace's cheeks.

"Just shut up and eat."

Akemi stared at the male, eventually obeying, flabbergasted. A giggle escaped her as she swallowed the porridge that he'd given her.

"You're blushing, Aomine."

Aomine groaned.

"I swear, my kindness is wasted on you."

After having finished the porridge, Aomine forced some medicine down her throat before shoving her back under the blankets.

"Sleep," he commanded.

Akemi smiled lightly and rolled her eyes at his behavior, but she felt exhaustion taking over quickly. She felt sleep tugging at her eyelids and struggled to keep her eyes open, but she was losing the battle. She felt hand running through her tangled hair and heard a low chuckle.

A smile found its way onto the ace's lips as the girl's eyes drifted closed.

"Good night, Tsubasa."

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **So, to make up for the one week where I couldn't upload any new chapters, I rewrote two chapters straight in a row. Also, I have hollidays for one week so I'll probably be able to finish it in that time, considering that there are only 6 chapters left.**

 **Anyway, don't forget that it's not my story and that all credit goes to the author OtakuNekoChan from Quotev.**

 **R &R **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _Remember…_

Aomine woke from his sleep, never finding himself ever so utterly disturbed by a dream before. Groaning, he sat up from his position, rubbing his forehead with his hand, trying to ease some of the pain he felt. The voice that echoed in his head remained, serving as a memory that kept making him feel a strange sensation of guilt, yet he did not know why. A growl escaped his throat as his thoughts lingered on the dream a bit longer, hoping to remember the images he saw.

He remembered nothing.

Frustration overtook the male and he forced himself off of the rough floor, climbing down the ladder and jumping off the last couple of rungs. He felt ticked off, if anything, that he kept forgetting the dreams that he was having. Something about the dreams reminded him so badly of a certain white-haired girl, yet the scenes always disappeared into thin air as soon as he woke up, not giving him a single chance to grasp them.

After being plagued by this problem for about a week, Aomine Daiki was pissed. He opened the door to the hallway, vowing to try his best not to kill the next person he saw.

* * *

Akemi was sitting idly inside the classroom during break. She sighed, thinking about how wonderful it would be to transport herself back in time so that she was in middle school again. The girl got out of her seat, grabbing her lunch and headed up to the roof to eat. However, she was stopped when she bumped into Aomine who was heading down the hall.

"What?" he grumbled, glaring at the petite female. Akemi flinched slightly under his harsh gaze before letting out a huff of air and walking around him, making Aomine sigh.

"As rude as ever, I see," he mumbled, trailing after her. The girl frowned, slightly confused. It was obvious that he had just come down from the roof top, so why bother go up again? She headed up the stairs when she suddenly felt someone shove into her. A startled gasp escaped her lips and before she knew it, she was tumbling backwards. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the harsh impact of the ground.

But the impact never came.

The girl opened her eyes to find herself staring into a pair of midnight blue eyes. Aomine growled, glaring at the first years that had knocked into the girl.

"Oy, first years! What where you're going!"

The students stammered a 'sorry' and turned around, running off quickly. A satisfied grin escaped the ace before he gave the white-haired female a little push.

"Get off me. You're heavy," he muttered.

Akemi blushed lightly and backed up, putting some distance between herself and the blue-haired giant. Flustered, she continued up the steps and found herself on the rooftop, which was empty. The door opened again and Aomine sat down to reveal Momoi, who immediately latched herself onto the other girl's back.

"Tsubasa-chan~! Do you want to go to the festival with me?"

Akemi felt her arm twitch at the mention of the fall festival. It was the day that Aomine had gotten into the train accident. She forced a nervous smile onto her face and nodded slightly. Aomine, meanwhile, had grabbed her lunchbox and was opening it, stealing some of her tamagoyaki.

"Yay~! Do you have a kimono to wear?" the pink-haired girl asked, elbowing Aomine in the ribs. Akemi shook her head in response to the manager's question, grabbing her lunchbox back from Aomine's hands. Momoi pouted at the response, muttering something about the purpose of festivals.

Aomine shot Momoi a look at her words.

"What do you mean wearing kimonos is the purpose of festivals? This little brat doesn't look attractive in such frivolous things."

Akemi felt a pang in her chest at his words, shooting him a murderous glare.

"Do you want to come with us Dai-chan?" the pinkette questioned.

"No. It's too troublesome," the teen replied, yawning.

"What do you mean, Dai-chan?" Momoi pouted before smothering the female in a hug again. "Tsubasa-chan is actually really, really popular with boys, you know! She gets confessed to at least once or twice a month." Akemi's face turned red and she covered Momoi's mouth with her hand in hoped of keeping her quiet. Aomine's eyes narrowed.

"Twelve to twenty-four times a year," he grumbled under his breath, a menacing look appearing in his eyes. Momoi smirked at his reaction.

"I bet that Tsubasa-chan could probably pick up a bunch of boys if she wore a kimono to the festival," she added teasingly. Aomine stood up abruptly at her words, clicking his tongue.

"…go."

Momoi looked up at her childhood friend cockily. "What was that, Dai-chan? I didn't hear you."

"I said I'll go, damn it! Shut the hell up Satsuki!"

A tinge of red appeared on his cheeks as he walked briskly to the door, slamming it close behind him. Akemi tilted her head to the side at his dramatic exit.

"What was that all about?" she asked Momoi. The pinkette grinned.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all~!"

* * *

Akemi was in Momoi's house, twitching uncomfortably as the manager of Too's basketball team fussed over a pile of makeup that she was attempting to apply on her.

"Why do I have to put this on again?" the girl asked, coughing slightly as she began dusting foundation on her face.

"What are you talking about, Tsubasa-chan? The point of festivals is to dress up and look cute~! You need to make an effort, you know…"

"But still…" Akemi flinched as the pinkette grabbed an eyelash curler and leaned over. "I-Is that a weapon?"

Momoi grinned. "Just hold still for one minute, Tsubasa-chan…"

The white-haired girl did her best not to think about how creepy it would be to have a strange contraption on her eyelashes and let out a sigh of relief when Momoi had finished.

"Are we finished yet?" she grumbled.

"Almost."

The pink-haired girl grabbed some blush and lipgloss, slathering both all over the girl's face. Then she proceeded to grab some mascara. By the time she was finished, Akemi felt like her face was covered with a mask.

"My eyelids feel heavy," Akemi mumbled. She started to stand up before Momoi suddenly grabbed her hand and forced her to sit down again.

"Wait, I didn't do your hair yet~!" A sigh escaped the petite female's lips as her friend began styling her hair and she thought about how nice it would be to stay home and watch television with a drink in her hand.

Approximately an hour later, Momoi was finally satisfied with how her friend looked. Akemi glared at her reflection in the mirror. Putting on makeup made her look prettier, sure, but it was a pain and she preferred natural looks over made over ones. A knock on the door notified her of Momoi's presence.

"Are you done changing, Tsubasa-chan?" Akemi opened the door to reveal Momoi who squealed and gave her a tight hug.

"I knew you would look perfect in my kimono~! I did such a good job." The manager grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her out of the room.

"Let's go now. I can't wait to see the look on Dai-chan's face," the girl giggled.

Upon getting outside, she and Momoi slowed down their pace, walking leisurely to the park which was where they had agreed to meet up with Aomine. When the two of them got there, they encountered not only Aomine but Kagami and Kuroko as well.

"Tetsu-kun~! " Momoi launched herself forward and threw her arms around the invisible Seirin player. "I haven't seen you in ages~! "

"Momoi-san, can you not hug me like that? Good evening, Tsubasa-san." The azure-haired boy nodded into Akemi's direction. She smiled lightly and returned his greeting, turning around to face Aomine. The dark-skinned ace seemed stunned upon seeing the girl, turning away abruptly.

"Let's go," he grumbled. Momoi grinned and ran over to face Aomine.

"Aww, Dai-chan. You're blushing~!"

"Am not." He scowled. "Shut up, Satsuki."

The five teens proceeded to the lights of the festival, talking about whatever came to mind. When they arrived at the festival, a smile lit up Akemi's face at the view of the cheerful children and colorful concession stands. Momoi grabbed her arm and pulled her to the cotton candy stand, paying for them.

"My treat tonight~!" She winked at her playfully and the white-haired girl laughed, taking a bite of the fluffy candy.

Aomine and Kagami were having a showdown at one of the basketball shooting stands and Kuroko was attempting to catch the attention of a man at a concession stand, but was failing. Akemi smiled at the sight and she walked down the aisles of lights and booths with Momoi. Suddenly, she felt a large hand block her vision.

"Here."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as Aomine handed her a mask from over her head, a tinge of red on his cheeks. The girl grinned up at his embarrassed face, making him more flustered.

"What?" he muttered.

Akemi accepted the mask and pulled it onto her head, not letting it cover her face so she could keep eating. A shooting booth caught her attention and she walked over to give it a try. She missed the first shot miserably and frowned, cursing inwardly. A second missed shot had her furrowing her brows in frustration. Suddenly, a pair of large hands covered her own.

"You're not aiming carefully enough. Lean over more and keep you back straight," she heard a voice sound near her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Akemi felt one of the hands press down on her stomach, forcing her backbone to level. A blush lit up her cheeks as Aomine leaned over the girl, his hands steadying her gun. She pressed the trigger accidentally, but for some reason, she was able to hit a bullseye. A squeal escaped her lips and she found herself hugging Aomine. Her face beamed red upon realizing what she had done.

"S-sorry. And thanks," the female muttered, accepting the prize the man in the booth handed her and she dashed off, flustered.

"Tsubasa-chan~!" Momoi ran over to the girl and handed her a candy apple.

"These are really good. You should have some," she said, jumping around, running off again to the fishing booth. The white head bit into the treat, savoring the sweet taste. Then she became aware of another presence behind her.

"Candy apples huh? Maybe I should get one."

Akemi looked up at find herself staring into the midnight blue eyes and she grinned up at Aomine.

"Want a bite?" she asked teasingly, laughing. But she was shut up immediately when Aomine suddenly leaned over her shoulder and took a chomp out of her candy apple.

"Thanks for the meal." The giant smirked at her red face and gapping mouth, waving his head and walking away, chuckling all the while.

* * *

A sudden drop of water on her shoulder turned Akemi's attention from the candy apple to the sky. She frowned and looked up to see thunder clouds gathering. Suddenly, a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned around to find herself face to face with a pair of cold, black eyes.

"Akemi."

The girl felt a shiver pass through her body as the man called her 'father' spoke. She stepped backwards, immediately slapping off his hand.

"S-stay away!" she stuttered. The man remained emotionless.

"You can speak again? That's nice. You need to work on keeping that voice with you now, eh?" A humorless smile passed over his rough features and Akemi felt a sob emerging from her throat. She turned around and ran away.

She wasn't aware of how long she was running, or how far she had gone. All she wanted to do was to put as much distance as possible between herself and her father. Before she knew it, she was crashing through trees, leaving scrapes on her arms and ripping bits of the kimono Momoi had lent her. Suddenly, she lost her footing and found herself sliding down a muddy cliff.

Whe she finally snapped back to reality, Akemi found herself at the bottom of a steep slope, with several scratches on her arms and legs, rain soaking her hair and clothes. She attempted to get up, but a throb in her ankles stopped her, making the girl wince. With trembling hands, she opened her bag and took out her phone, which was useless due to the lack of signal in the area. She opened her mouth to scream and encountered her final problem.

Her voice had decided to abandon her, just when she needed it most.

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **And here's the next one. I'll update another one today, so then we only have 4 chapters left till the end.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

He was panicking, the quick beating of his heart told him that. The rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, only making his pulse race faster. Was she scared of thunder? He had no idea. The very thought only increased his anxiety in finding the girl.

"Damn it," the blue-haired ace cursed under his breath, nearly crushing his cellphone in a death grip. His frustration was mounting slowly, but surely. The rain was becoming heavier and if he was to find her, he had to do it quickly. Another curse escaped Aomine's mouth as he glanced frantically around the clearing, wondering where in the world the girl had gone.

He told himself he shouldn't have taken his eyes off of her, that he shouldn't have left her alone for a minute. The thought that she may have been kidnapped while he had been there added fuel to his fury. He spun around at the sound of steps approaching and his eyes met pink ones.

Momoi flinched under Aomine's smoldering gaze. She had never seen him so angry before. Taking a deep breath, she looked up towards him.

"I think I know which way Tsubasa-chan may have gone. Do you want me to show you?"

The flash in his eyes answered her before his lips even opened.

"Lead the way."

* * *

It was dark. Cold. Akemi couldn't stop shivering. How much time had passed since she had fallen to the bottom of this cliff? A sudden stinging sensation jolted through her ankle as she attempted to move and she winced, gently covering it with her hand. The throbbing ache that she felt had been replaced by a huge wave of pain every single time she shifted her leg. A rumble of thunder was heard overhead and she felt tears threatening to spill. Shaking her head, the girl drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Crying wouldn't get her anywhere. She took in another shaky breath and forced herself to think. What would b the best way to escape from this situation? Would she have to climb up the small landslide she'd come down from? Or was it possible that there was another path? Could she even walk with her ankle in this condition?

'Think! Think!'

Akemi glanced around at her surroundings, keen eyes quickly locating a couple sturdy branches not far away. Reaching her arm forward, she tried to grab onto it, only to have a wave of pain shoot up her leg. Gasping, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move forward. She felt her fingers close around the rough, muddy surface of the branch and couldn't resist a small surge of triumph. Using the stick like a crutch, she hoisted herself onto her feet, flinching slightly when another sharp pain shot up her leg. She felt her eyesight begin to blur before forcing herself to shake off the feeling and focus on escaping her predicament.

She couldn't pass out in the middle of the forest. No one would be able to find her. The least she could do was try to get herself onto the roadside where it was more likely for someone to spot her and come to help. Another rumble of thunder sounded overhead, making her jump slightly. She hated thunderstorms. They were so loud and sudden, just like her parents, barging into her life randomly, taking control of everything, becoming her fears.

Akemi forced herself out of her thoughts and took a step forward. A sudden wind startled her and she swayed sideways, nearly falling over. Gritting her teeth again, she urged herself to continue moving. Two steps later, the pain in her leg was beginning to take over. It was even more prominent now, the occasional stinging sensation accompanied by waves of agony. She was just about a couple steps away from the top of the small cliff when the trouble began. She could feel it; a slight prickling sensation running ip and down her neck. Gulping in air, she stopped and ran her hands over the area, hoping to soothe the feeling a bit. But just like always, it didn't work. The beginnings of the attack were approaching.

A clap of thunder in the distance startled her and just like that, she felt her oxygen flow being cut off. Gasping, she fell to her knees, sliding back down the bit of path she had managed to clear. She trembled slightly. The attack wasn't as bad as the others she'd had, but with the pain from her injury its presence only made things worse. A smothering sensation covered her throat as she tried to breathe. She could feel herself slipping from consciousness as the pain in her leg magnified.

"Tsubasa! Where are you?!"

The sudden distant voice lit a small fire of hope within the white-haired girl. She struggled, trying her best to get up, only to collapse again. There was too much strain on her body. She opened her mouth, desperate, willing her voice to come out just one more time.

"Help…me…"

It was futile. She had already pushed herself to her limit. The voice that escaped her parted lips was extremely faint and it was all she managed before she passed out.

* * *

Aomine muttered curses under his breath, clawing his way through the branches. His shoes were soaked through and water was streaming down his bangs, but those discomforts hardly drew his attention. His mind was so focused on locating a white-haired girl to the point in which he nearly crashed into several trees. Only Momoi's presence prevented him from accidentally injuring himself.

"Are you sure she went this way" the ace grumbles, beginning to get annoyed at the number of branches he had encountered. The panic that he had managed to hide away was starting to resurface in his voice and he cleared his throat.

"I'm positive," Momoi replied. "She was talking to a tall man before she ran this way, according to some eyewitnesses." Aomine snorted at her choice of words and he turned back to the task at hand. A sudden sound of something - or someone - falling into the mid made him freeze. He turned immediately to the source of the sound, eyes alert for any movement.

"Did you hear that?" he breathed quietly to Momoi who nodded slightly. Aomine headed in the direction of the noise, only to find a dead end. The area he arrived in was surrounded by trees and a cliff. He sighed, dragging his hand through his tangled, wet hair.

"I guess I went in the wrong direction," he muttered, turning back around. But once again, the ace stopped when a small noise reached his ears.

"Help…me…"

The giant whirled around at once and dashed towards the edge of the cliff, ignoring Momoi's sudden warning at his movements. She quickly followed after him. He found himself looking down at what appeared to be a mudslide. It didn't seem like much of a cliff from this point of view. And lying at the bottom was-

"Oh god…"

Momoi stifled a cry, clapping her hands over her mouth when she saw the small, crumpled figure lying at the bottom of the cliff.

The sight of the girl's mangled body had Aomine completely paralyzed. There was a sudden ache in his head and he winced, kneeling down, trying to ease the pain. It seemed all too strangely familiar; the fear and panic he felt, the sight of her lying in a crumpled heap before him with blood oozing out of her-

Aomine gasped, shaking his head, trying to clear his head of the sudden sensation flooding through his mind.

What was it that he was feeling?

A part of it was nostalgia, but only a small part of it. But the more he tried to grasp at what he was missing, the more his head hurt. He drew in a deep breath, deciding to first take care of the situation at hand. He slid down to the bottom of the cliff and picked up Tusbasa's limp figure. Aomine didn't know if he was supposed to feel relieved at finding her, but the way she looked made it difficult to relax.

"Anyways, let's head for shelter," the pink-haired manager said quietly as Aomine made his way back up the mudslide. He nodded slightly, trudging back the way they'd come with the girl in his arms.

* * *

Akemi's eyes fluttered open and she flinched slightly when she saw the bright lights glaring down at her. The first thing she registered was that she was dry; she was no longer in the dark woods under the rain. She tried to sit up, but found herself forced back onto her back when a pain shot up her leg. Wincing, she settled herself back into the pillows, trying to figure out where she was.

It was an unfamiliar place, that was for sure. The room was very simple; a full sized bed with black blankets, a drawer and a desk with a computer and some pictures on it. The door suddenly opened, drawing her attention from the room's decorations to the person standing in the doorway.

"Dai-chan, she's awake!" Momoi called over her shoulder when she saw the girl's opened eyes. She then decided to tackle her with a hug.

"What do you think you were doing, going into the woods like that? It's really dangerous, you know!" she reprimanded, hitting her friend lightly on the head. Akemi smiled weakly at her before freezing when a tall figure entered the room.

"What the hell were you thinking?" the ace snarled, slamming his hand o one side of the girl's head. Momoi squealed and pulled back immediately, running all the way back to the doorway.

"W-well, she's all your's!" she said with a forced laugh, giving the withe-haired female a look that clearly read 'sorry'. Then she closed the door.

Akemi refused to meet the gaze of the person staring down at her, but his intense gaze quickly became distracting. She glanced up at him, before looking back down again.

"Why did you go out there all alone?! You could have died!" he said, his words loud and forceful. She felt herself trembling slightly at his voice, but she couldn't say anything. A silence followed his words.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

His voice was gentles this time and she looked up at him, finding herself staring into midnight blue eyes. Aomine sat up and let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. Akemi looked at him as he glanced at the ceiling.

"Look, we really need to talk," he said, turning around to face her one more time. "Or rather, I'll do all the talking, since it's become clear that something happened to your voice again." He shot her a calculating look and she shivered.

A perceptive Aomine was much scarier than an angry one.

Akemi nodded slightly, wondering what he could have in mind.

"What exactly is my relationship with you?"

The girl froze at his words and turned around slowly to look at him. He was staring at her with a smoldering gaze and it was hard to look away. She swallowed thickly as he handed her a pad of paper and a pen. She wrote.

 _Are you sure you want to know?_

The ace stared at her before snorting and nodding.

 _You might regret it though._

"Who the hell cares? The past is the past," he grumbles, glaring at the notepad.

 _It could ruin everything that we have right now._

"Just stop stalling. I already said I don't care," Aomine muttered, ruffling her hair with his hand. She looked at the blank page of paper and sighed. Then she started to write.

 _Four years ago, I attended Teiko Middle School…_

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **This'll be the last one for today. I should be able to finish it in the next two days.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Teiko Middle School was the start of all her worries. She had moved from another region in Japan and her parents had automatically transferred her to the best school in the area. On the first day of school, she was walking down the road, worrying endlessly about what her day would be like. She was walking distractedly into the school campus, half mumbling to herself, clutching at her heart. She arrived rather early, but the campus was already filled with students because of the entrance ceremony. A sigh escaped her lips and she looked up only to crash into a very tall individual and fall backwards.

Akemi landed on her butt, wincing slightly before looking up to see the figure looking over her. A trickle of fear flooded down her spine when she saw the narrowed, dark blue eyes staring down at her. She immediately got up as fast as she could and apologized over and over again.

"S-sorry! I'm very sorry," she stuttered, bowing very low. A sudden laugh startled her and she cautiously looked up.

"Are you alright?" The tall blue-haired boy grinned down at her and patted her on her head. "Next time be more careful where you're going, okay?"

"O-okay," the girl replied quietly, flushing slightly. The boy waved and walked away, leaving her standing there. She thought that she would never meet him again, but then the two of them ended up in the same class, sitting right next to each other.

Fate worked in strange ways.

That same day, the two became properly acquainted. He introduced himself as Aomine Daiki and she soon found out that both of them had a passion for basketball. They quickly became good friends, hanging out with each other often. As Aomine decided to join the basketball team, she decided to support him fully.

Akemi felt that she had a special relationship with him and the two of them only became closer and closer. He helped her out often, protecting her from weird boys that she would occasionally encountered and even taught her tidbits of basketball. In return, she made him lunch and stopped by his house every morning to wake him up.

People soon began calling them a 'couple', Akemi's friends teasing her and Aomine's friends teasing him. She would laugh and change the subject, but he would always deny it, glaring at his friends with piercing blue eyes. At first, the white head didn't care, but after a while his responses to their jokes started to hurt.

Akemi didn't know when it happened, or how - it could have possibly been the moments she'd met him - but she was falling for him, hard and fast. She liked watching his form as he played basketball and every time he gave her a smile, her heart would beat just a tad bit faster. Just a bit. She soon started to notice that Aomine was skipping his basketball practices and when she asked him about it, he would just change the subject. She decided not to push it, considering his feelings.

Then she saw him with her.

One afternoon, when Aomine decided to go to practice, Akemi was waiting outside the gym, planning to surprise him. But when he walked out, he was laughing with another girl, clearly joking around. She was obviously pretty, with pink hair and a slender body and a large chest. Obviously Aomine's type. Akemi felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly shook it off, telling herself not to agonize over it.

It was pretty difficult.

Their relationship continued, but she noticed moments when Aomine seemed out of it. He began to laugh less often and the light in his eyes became less radiant. It pained Akemi to see him like that and the one time she tried to ask him what was wrong, he blew up on her. He apologized after he'd made her cry, his apology being so awkward that she actually had to laugh. She liked that side of him; his clumsy and adorable side. Not long after, she saw the poster on the wall advertising the Fall Festival. She decided to go.

That night was the one time she actually put effort into her appearance. It was a very rare thing for her to do, but she did it anyways. She applied makeup, did her hair and put on a kimono. Her friends told her that she looked completely different.

And it was the same night, when she was heading to the train station to get home, that she saw Aomine Daiki standing by the benches. She smiled, ready to approach him, when she saw that he was with the same girl that he'd been with after practice. A small, ugly feeling welled up inside her heart as she watched the girl wave to him and board one of the trains. Before she knew it, she had marched up to him and confessed.

It was the one decision that she regretted the most in her entire life.

* * *

Akemi wrote about the times that they'd spent together, but she kept quiet about the confession and idle feelings that she'd had during that time. Looking back on it, she almost laughed at the notion that she had once thought Aomine and Momoi were dating. It was surprising enough that the two of them had never bumped into each other. When she began to write about the time when Aomine taught her a turn-around, he interrupted her.

"That's enough." Akemi looked up curiously only to see him clutching his head. "My head is seriously splitting open. I don't think I can take this much longer, sorry." He groaned lightly and the girl looked concernedly at him.

"Hold on, I'm going to take a breath of fresh air," he muttered, getting up unsteadily and stumbling down the doorway. Akemi tried to move, but a sudden throb in her leg prevented her from budging. She winced, wishing that she had been more careful. Momoi entered the room the Aomine left and saw the pained expression on the white head's face. She frowned and sat down on the bed beside her friend.

"Sorry. I tried to get hold of a doctor, but the hospital said that they didn't have anyone available." She swallowed. "Your ankle is probably broken. I would get you to the hospital, but they are refusing to send any ambulances. Public transportation is out of the question and none of us own a car. I'll go try calling the hospital again." The pinkette pursed her lips as she stood.

"It's really strange that they're refusing to help someone that is hurt. At first they were all eager, but as soon as I said your name they refused. I'll be back in a bit." With that, the girl exited the room.

Akemi's heart sank. She knew immediately that this was her parents' doing. All of the hospital employees believed that she was nothing but a troublemaker, faking muteness to get attention. Apparently, her father had spread the rumor in order to cover the fact that they couldn't get rid of the problem. In addition to that, he made sure that none of the local hospitals would accept her for checkups or examinations so that the truth couldn't get out. Akemi nearly laughed at the extent to which he went in order to protect his company's reputation.

But if her ankle was broken, she was in serious trouble. She wouldn't be able to walk anywhere without collapsing or wincing from pain. The girl smiled wryly and the door opened to reveal Aomine.

"Here."

He handed her some painkillers and water, sitting down. His complexion looked better now, more relaxed. He looked at Tsubasa with a searching look.

"Momoi told me about the hospital situation. Why won't they accept you as a patient?"

Akemi only shrugged and scribbles some words.

 _Hospitals are busy places. Apparently a broken ankle isn't a big deal._

He scowled at her response.

"Aren't you the daughter of the CEO of the hospital? You should be top priority, if anything."

Akemi shuffled uncomfortably at the mention of her parents before flashing a fake smile up at him, but it disappeared quickly. He stared at her blankly for a second before turning around, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, whatever." Aomine glanced back at the girl for a second before saying, "But if it hurts too much, let me know. I'll force them to treat you."

Akemi felt the corner of her lips tug upwards a bit. If anything, Aomine made her feel a lot better. She sighed and leaned backwards into the pillows, relaxing again before mouthing a small 'thank you' at the blue-haired giant. He flashed her a very brief smile - so brief that she only saw it for a second - before leaving the room and shutting the lights.

"G'night, Akemi."

The girl fell asleep with a small smile etched onto her face.

* * *

Akemi awoke suddenly in the middle of the night, immediately aware of her parched throat. Coughing slightly, she forced herself to sit up and stumbled out the door, ignoring the throbbing pain in her ankle. It was dark. Well, of course it was, considering the time. The girl put a hand on the wall in order to gain a sense of direction. She had been in Momoi's house once and could only vaguely recall the tour that she'd given her. After a couple of minutes, she somehow managed to find her way to the kitchen and switched on the light, blinking at the sudden brightness.

She saw a glass of water placed on the counter along with a note saying 'for you'. A small smile crossed her face and she picked up the glass, quickly draining the cup down, quenching her thirst. Just as she began to place the cup down, her throat began to bother again, but this time, it wasn't because she needed water.

The girl could feel herself panicking. There was no one there. Momoi was most likely in her room upstairs and Aomine was probably either at home or occupying the other bedroom, also located on the second story. If she had an attack here, no one would find her until the next morning. Akemi drew in a deep draught of air, trying to calm herself, only to have her breath hitched.

A cough escaped her. Then another and before she knew it, she found herself once again on the floor, hands on her chest, gasping for air. The helplessness of the situation made her infuriated and scared at the same time. She wondered what would become of her. Then, the feeling of suffocating engulfed her completely. About five seconds later, she was immediately aware that this attack was much worse than the other she'd ever experienced. Accompanied by her broken ankle, the pain was unbearable.

As she lay writhing on the floor, lips parted for air, she could hear a door slamming open and a sudden frantic cry.

"Akemi!"

The girl could feel strong arms supporting her back, but the feeling brought her no comfort. Footsteps running down the stairs alerted her of Momoi's arrival. More frantic shouts were heard in the background and Akemi became aware of her pink-haired friend speaking on the phone. Seconds later, she addressed Aomine.

"It's no use, they're refusing to send an ambulance!"

"What the hell are they doing?! She's in much worse condition than the previous times she's had an attack! Not to mention this is the second one today!"

"But they still-"

"What the hell is up with that hospital?!"

Akemi coud feel her breathing growing more shallow and her eyesight was becoming blurry. Compared to the previous times, the feeling of suffocating was much worse. Noticing the girl's expression, Aomine cursed.

"Damn that hospital. I seriously don't have a choice anymore!"

And with that, he crashed his lips onto Akemi's.

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **I know it's a bit late (10:33 pm European time), but I seriously wanted to update this chapter today. We had a lot to do yesterday and today, that's why I'm only updating now. Anyway, could be that I'll be updating tomorrow or not, my mother, sister and I are going shopping, so I don't know if I'll find the time.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The first thing Akemi did when she regained her breath was stare for the longest time at Aomine.

He kissed her.

He freaking _kissed_ her.

Never, in her wildest dreams or delusions, did she imagine that he would ever do that. She felt so happy it was scaring her.

'Damn this crush of yours.'

Aomine noticed her stares and shot her a glare.

"What?" he grumbled. "It was CPR. Deal with it, you don't have to be so upset.

The white head wanted to laugh, but she was still slightly weak from the asthma attack. Instead, she stuck her tongue out to him. His next line, however, made her freeze.

"I would have done it anyone, you know. It's not like you're special or anything…"

Had she not looked away, she would have noticed the red tint on his face and the way he refused to meet her eyes when he said those words. But Akemi found herself staring down at her hands for a bit before she looked back up and sent him a forced smile. Just that moments, Momoi entered the room. She dashed over, crushing the white-haired girl in her embrace.

"Tsubasa-chan~! I was so worried. If you wanted water you should have woken one of us up!"

Akemi smiled at the pinkette to reassure her that she was okay. When Momoi finally let go of her, she gave Akemi a glass of water and some painkillers, proceeding to plop herself down on a tabletop.

"I contacted another hospital. They said they would send an ambulance over, but it's an hour drive since the hospital in this town won't accept us. Is that okay, Tsubasa-chan?"

The girl in question nodded, dropping her gaze back to her hands again. Momoi stared at her friend, confused, before suddenly smirking mischievously.

"So, Dai-chan," she drawled. Akemi's gaze shot up to her face like a bullet. Momoi grinned at her reaction. "You stole Tsubasa-chan's first kiss~! How sly…"

"I-I told you that was CPR!" Aomine sputtered, clearly unnerved by the subject. "Anyways, that 'kiss' doesn't count. So don't go crying about losing it to someone you don't even like, got it?"

"How cruel, Dai-chan. Laying your hands on an innocent little maiden and then saying that you didn't do anything." Momoi pouted before warpping her hands around Akemi.

"Then maybe I should take her first kiss?" The pinkette grinned coyly at Aomine, whose face contorted.

"Y-You can't! Tsubasa is mine!"

A furious blush came over Akemi's face when she digested what the basketball ace had just said. Aomine clapped a hand over his mouth; his facial expression told the girl that he was even more surprised by what he'd said than she was.

"Oh shit," he mumbles, face turning red. Akemi looked up at him for a bit and he gulped. "I-I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

With those words, Aomine Daiki walked briskly out of the room.

* * *

The ride to the hospital was silent. Momoi had fallen asleep on Akemi's right and Aomine sat on her left, refusing to say anything. The girl could tell that what he'd blurted out earlier was bothering him more than she thought it would. His words had sparked the smallest bit of hope within her and she once again felt ridiculously happy. She let out a small sigh before a sudden weight on her left shoulder made her stiffen up.

Akemi turne her head slowly around and found her face inches away from Aomine's head. Soft snores escaped his lips and she fought the urge to let out a giggle at the sight. He must have been tired after all the excitement that had occurred. The girl smiled and found herself running her hand through his short hair. It surprised her how soft it was. She had always thought that it would be more spiky.

Years ago, she'd made up her mind to give up on Aomine after what had happened. She really had no right to get close to him, especially after leaving him with a scar that would never fade. It wasn't fair to him to date such a person. She was aware that, if she didn't start distancing herself soon, she was going to get hurt. And much worse than she did four years ago. But the heart had a mind of its own. Akemi sighed again, looking down at Aomine's sleeping face. Asleep, the blue-haired ace looked surprisingly…peaceful.

"Ooo…Tsubasa-chan is attacking Dai-chan in his sleep~!"

A sudden voice startled the white head from her thoughts. She whipped her head around, her mouth opened in indignance, her face flushed in embarrassment. Momoi had woken up and was now grinning at her.

"So tell me, Tsubasa-chan," she nudged her. "You like Dai-chan, don't you?"

Akemi blushed, looking away. Then she pulled out her phone and typed.

 _It's not like it matters if I do or if I don't, right?_

Momoi scooted closer to her.

"Just admit it already, Tsubasa-chan~! You guys are totally made for each other. I've never seen Aomine obsess over a girl so much- well, except for Mai of course, but still!"

Akemi smiled sadly and Momoi seemed to notice her pained expression, frowning.

"Hey, what's wrong, Tsubasa-chan?"

Akemi shook her head before sighing.

 _I actually confessed to him once before. Four years ago._

Momoi stared at her friend in surprise.

"What?! I never heard about this! You mean when you went to Teiko?"

The girl nodded before continuing.

 _I got rejected, though._

The pinkette stared at the white head incredulously.

"How come Aomine's never talked about this before?"

 _He forgot._

"Forgot?"

 _If I told you 'train accident', would that spark any memories?_

Momoi's eyes widened.

"T-The doctor said that he would have some brain damage, but he acted perfectly normal, so…"

 _As it happens, he forgot about me. Completely. The wound that he got was because he saved me from being hit by the train. Seeing him in that state sent me into so much shock that I went mute._

Momoi stared at her friend for a while, eventually patting the girl gently on the head. Akemi looked up at her, only now realizing that she was crying. As the tears fell, she couldn't help but only regret her situation more. She seriously had to stay away from Aomine. She knew that, no matter how happy she would be if she started dating him, the guilt of this memory would only torment her to no end. When her tears finally stopped, she sighed.

'Love really hurts.'

* * *

The ambulance finally arrived at the hospital around the time the painkillers began wearing off. Aomine had surprisingly not fallen off her shoulder the entire time Akemi had been conversing with Momoi. When he woke up, Momoi glared at him.

"You're such a jerk, Dai-chan."

Aomine stared incredulously at her.

"What the hell did I do?!"

Momoi only stuck her tongue out at him and hopped off the car. As Akemi headed after her, the pain in her ankle began returning and caused her to stumble. She gripped onto the nearest thing to prevent herself from falling and, unfortunately, that thing happened to be the blue-haired teen.

Caught off guard, she accidentally tugged a bit too hard and she ended up falling. Only, when she tried to get up, she was stopped thanks to the person who was now lying on top of her. A furious blush crossed Akemi's face when she realized the awkward situation she was in. Aomine looked up with a red tinge on his face, but the supposed blush disappeared as soon as he saw the girl's expression.

"Oh my, Tsubasa. I never knew you were so _eager_ \- Ow!"

Tsubasa hit him on his head with her fist before he got up, grumbling to himself. Hopping off of the ambulance, he offered his hand up to her.

"Here."

Akemi looked at him and he refused to meet her gaze.

"It's not like you can't get off without any help," he mumbled.

Grinning, she grabbed his hand and let him help her off the ambulance. She looked up at his face and-

'Oh shoot. I was supposed to be distancing myself from him a bit.'

Shaking herself out of her depressing thoughts, the girl sped up as much as she could with her foot to catch up with Momoi.

* * *

The following week, Akemi was back at school again. The doctor had said that her foot would heal in two to three months and to make sure, not to do too many things that would put too much strain on her ankle. Because it disturbed her whenever she didn't do some form of physical exercise, Akemi found herself going out for a walk every evening.

One particular night, Aomine decided to tag along one of her evening strolls. As the two of them proceeded through the neighborhood, a sudden clanging from the outdoor basketball courts caught her attention. She drew her gaze to the individual playing before a frown made its way across her face. The figure in the courts paused, noticing the two teenagers standing there. Akemi felt Aomine's gaze burning into her back.

"Oi, Tsubasa. How do you know-"

"Well, if it isn't you, teacher. I didn't expect to run into you here," an overly sarcastic voice rung throughout the still evening air. Akemi greeted him with a nod of her head, but the frown of disdain did not leave her face. Aomine put his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Tsubasa, let's go," he muttered, jerking his head to the left, but Akemi ignored him.

"Teacher, why are you hanging out with Daiki, huh? It's not like you at all." He narrowed his eyes at the cast on her foot before clicking his tongue. "How did you get that injury? Pathetic."

Akemi glared at him, turning around and leaving, dragging Aomine with her. She could see the unvoiced questions in his eyes, but chose to ignore them until they arrived back at the hospital. Taking out her phone, she began typing.

 _Haizaki and I were what you would call 'childhood friends', but I would call it him bullying me rather than being friendly. My uncle used to teach him basketball, so I would run into him often. That's why he calls me 'teacher'._

Aomine scowled.

"He bullied you?"

Akemi grinned up at him, waving her hand to tell him that she was fine. It hadn't bothered her much in the first place. When he'd been little, Shougo had been so scared of her uncle that he would never go further than verbal insults.

A large hand suddenly ruffled her white hair and Akemi flushed slightly. Looking up at Aomine, she noticed the slightest hint of concern etched into his face. She flashed him a smile to reassure him-

"Just…be careful, 'kay?" he said gruffly. Akemi nodded before backing away and heading back into the hospital.

'I'll be careful.'

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **So I managed to get this one done today. I hope that I'll be able to update the two last ones tomorrow and then I already know which Aomine story to post next. Hope you'll enjoy that once just as much as this one. I can already tell you that it will again feature an OC with a small problem, and it will be longer than this one. Hope you'll visit it!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Aomine Daiki was in an extremely terrible mood and the cause for that happened to be a certain white-haired girl. Break, lunch, after school, practice - every single time he happened to see the girl, she would suddenly be occupied doing something else.

Was she avoiding him?

Or was she not doing it on purpose?

The blue-haired ace had no clue.

But unfortunately, his behavior reflected in his playing. During a three-three practice match, he had dunked repeatedly and glared at people so much that his teammates had kept a five feet distance from him at all times and Sakurai had apologized to him nonstop, even when Aomine hadn't been looking at him.

Either way, Aomine Daiki was definitely scaring the crap out of his team.

Momoi, having observed his pissed-off attitude, sighed. She wondered what Tsubasa was trying to accomplish by keeping a distance from the male.

'Well,' the pinkette thought to herself, 'as long as all turns out well, whatever~!'

* * *

Earlier that week, Momoi had asked the coach to let the white head help out the basketball team as an assistant manager. Tsubasa had agreed before realizing that taking on the job would mean she would be seeing Aomine more often. It wasn't like she was trying to avoid the tanned ace; she was simply putting a bit of distance between the two of them. After the incident in which Aomine had given…CPR, Akemi found her heart pounding uncontrollably in his presence. It got to where it hurt to breathe. The happiness she felt in those small moments was ineffable and at that point, she found that she had to stop.

Or else she would be falling way too hard. And if he wasn't there to catch her, then everything would break. _She_ would break.

The realization had stopped the girl in her tracks and she had backed off. She remembered that, once in middle school, she had experienced the feeling of falling that hard for an absolute jerk and it was Aomine that had managed to hold her together after she'd been rejected. During middle school she had somehow fallen in love with a certain childhood friend.

Yes, a childhood friend.

Haizaki Shougo.

He had been different before. He used to laugh and was kind, but he began to change and she chose to ignore that. She acted oblivious to his offending actions; she had been naive. The she now would laugh at the her at that time. It was ridiculous how she had pretended not to see the truth, how she had continued to believe that Haizaki was the nice boy he'd been years ago. But all of that had shattered in an instant when he had rejected her in the cruelest way possible. He had crushed her Valentine's Day chocolates in front of the entire class, laughing and saying that he would never date anyone as ugly as she was.

Aomine had been the one who was able to heal the wounds of that experience, was able to pry open her heart and slip inside. She had fallen for him afterwards, but she'd been aware. Aware that, if she wasn't careful, he would be the one reopening them. And not long after, the train accident had happened and he had been hurt. She had been hurt. But her awareness had saved her.

Saved her from breaking that time.

And she planed to keep it that way. To stop herself from falling even deeper into the endless pit of 'love', before she broke again. They say wise men learned from their mistakes. And this time, she had full intentions to be the wise man. Of course, being wise was never easy. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't try.

Another week passed and Aomine Daiki was beyond frustrated. He remained ticked off twenty-four seven. Tsubasa hadn't tried approaching him to talk anymore and it was annoying him immensely. One day, during practice, the coach had Momoi gather all of the basketball team members together. He announced that he had planned a practice match with Fukuda Sogo Academy the next day. She and Aomine, upon hearing the name, immediately recognized who Too Academy would be playing against.

Haizaki Shougo.

Akemi groaned inwardly at the thought of having to see him again. But then again, she decided to put up with it since she was the assistant manager. If the game was scheduled, then it was unavoidable. She sighed. As soon as the meeting was adjourned, Aomine had grabbed the girl by her hand and dragged her outside. He backed her up against a wall, slamming his hand on either side of her.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he growled while Akemi could only stare at him. Aomine sighed before backing away from her and running one of his hands through his short hair.

"Here." He handed her his phone before turning back to face her.

"Did I…do something?"

Akemi shook her head rapidly. Why did people always think that they did something wrong? She quickly typed on his phone.

 _It's a personal problem. I'll solve it by myself. And plus, I'm not avoiding you. I just want to put a bit of distance in between us, for now._

"Don't decide that on your own!" Aomine grumbled. The white-haired girl grinned teasingly at him, typing again.

 _What, love me so much you don't want me to leave?_

The ace flushed.

"…Got a problem with that?"

She stared.

"…"

The giant looked down at the ground, embarrassed.

"…"

Was this really Aomine?

"…"

Akemi's mouth dropped open.

He was serious.

He was _serious._

She wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Everything was becoming so screwed up she just didn't know what to do. She wanted to scream. She loved him and he liked her back. But she couldn't love him. She just _couldn't_. She didn't have the right to.

She stopped.

She knew that telling that to herself was just an excuse. In reality, it was because she was afraid. Afraid that, when he found out what she'd done to him, he would hate her. He wouldn't like her anymore. So she did the only thing she could do on the brink of exploding from the ridiculous situation.

She ran.

Maybe she shouldn't have done that, but during that moment, it was the one thing that seemed most reasonable. Se should have known what that action would do to Aomine Daiki. But the again, actions taken in the spur of the moment were never really well thought out.

* * *

The next day, Akemi made up he mind to apologize to Aomine and tell him to let her sort out her feelings since she honestly didn't know what course of action to take. But when she arrived at school, he wasn't there.

The periods passed by and Aomine still hadn't shown up. Now she was honestly worried. Akemi decided to stop by his house after the practice match, but when she entered the gym, she was surprised to see him inside, dunking like his life depended on it. He stopped dead as soon as he heard the squeak of shoes in the doorway of the gym, turning around slowly.

He didn't meet her eyes.

Akemi rummaged in her backpack to take out her phone to apologize, but he stopped her.

"You don't have to do anything," he mumbled. "I get it, so…"

It struck her how un-Aomine-like he was acting and the girl only became increasingly worried. He wasn't looking at her anymore, so it would be no use to write anything for him to see. A sudden wave of frustration rolled over her. She wanted to speak so badly, but she couldn't. Her voice just wouldn't listen. She stepped forward toward him, but the gym door burst open behind her, stopping her actions. The rest of Too Academy's basketball team shuffled in, their shoes squeaking on the gym floor.

"Tsubasa-chan~!" Momoi jumped on Akemi almost immediately, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Are you ready for the game?"

Aomine continued staring at the ground.

Akemi stood limply.

'I hurt him.'

'I hurt him.'

'Again.'

This time, it didn't require an asthma attack, a broken ankle or anything like that. Before she knew it, she was lurching towards the ground, her consciousness disappearing in a flash.

* * *

"Hey…are you okay?"

Akemi looked up, her golden eyes swimming with tears.

"A-ah," she managed to croak out. Her face flushed and she buried it back in her hands.

"Why's a pretty girl like you crying out here?"

The girl lifted her face out of her hands, staring at the stranger standing in front of her. He noticed the crushed, light blue box sitting next to her and picked it up before whistling.

"Whoa, that looks quite bad. The guy who did that must be quite the jerk."

"H-He's not!" She stopped herself, clapping her hand over her mouth. The stranger only stared at her.

"Suit yourself." The male plopped down next to her, opening the box.

"Aren't those chocolates detailed? Do you mind if I take them?" She paused before shaking her head. The boy grinned.

"Don't mind if I do then." He promptly grabbed a chocolate and popped it into his mouth. A couple of seconds passed and he chewed quietly.

"Damn, this is good."

He opened his mouth and dumped the remaining chocolates in. Akemi stared at him with wide eyes as he swallowed the last one before grinning at her.

"Thanks for the meal~!" he said, laying down lazily. She didn't know what exactly to make of the boy, opening her mouth to speak.

"It's Daiki."

She stared at him.

"Well, Aomine, technically, but i wouldn't mind if you called me Daiki."

She could feel a small smile creep onto her face.

"And what might your name be, miss?"

She felt laughter bubbling up in her chest. Calling a girl 'miss' in this day and age?

"Tsubasa Akemi."

* * *

Akemi's eyes opened slowly as she awoke from her dream and she found herself staring at the ceiling of the school infirmary. Sitting up slowly, she examined her surroundings. No one was there. The girl sighed before pulling back the thin blanket that covered her. She was about to stand up when the infirmary door opened.

"Agh, this school is so big, locating the infirmary was a damn pain in the ass," a familiar voice grumbled and she froze at it.

"Oh, look who decided to show up," the voice drawled. Akemi looked up and found herself face to face with Haizaki Shougo.

"Good timing. Hey, teach', where are the bandaids? I got a cut coming up here and it looks pretty bad." He waved his hand in front of his face lazily, knowing well that the sight of blood made the girl uncomfortable. She scowled at him, turning sharply to head out of the room. A hand suddenly grabbed her small wrist, spinning her around and slamming her up against the infirmary wall. Haizaki leaned in, smirking evilly.

"Oh my, how you have changed, teach'. Four years ago you would have been absolutely delighted to land me a hand." Haizaki's fingers traced her jawline, grabbing her chin roughly before tilting her face to the side.

"Hmm, I say…have you gotten a bit sexier? Your chest did get bigger for sure." She shot him a glar, preparing to knee him in the crotch.

Suddenly, a pair of lips mashed onto hers.

Akemi immediately tensed up, realizing what had happened. She shoved Haizaki away as hard as possible, kicking his leg. She covered her mouth with her hand, stunned by what has happened.

"Tch, you sure kick pretty damn hard for a girl," Hiazaki sighed, getting up and walking towards the exit before pausing at the infirmary door.

"Perhaps, we'll continue this after the match?" He smirked, sending chills down her spine. She felt rooted to the spot. The look in his eyes terrified her and she found herself trembling, unable to move. His laugh echoed down the hallways as he exited.

Momoi stood outside of the infirmary door, frozen after witnessing the scene. Haizaki had completely ignored her as he left and all Momoi could register were the words that he'd spoken.

 _"Four years ago, you would have been absolutely delighted to lend me a hand."_

What did that mean? And he had kissed her friend! Why wasn't she moving? Not knowing what to do, Momoi turned abruptly and dashed back towards the gym.

* * *

"So you're telling me…Tsubasa fell in love with that little piece of shit and let him kiss her?"

Momoi gulped. Perhaps telling Aomine hadn't been the best thing to do, but she had accidentally blurted it out. The tanned ace stood up, staggering menacingly towards the storage room exit. He walked out, slamming his fist on the wall next to the door. At that moment, Haizaki and the remainder of Fukuda Sogo Academy entered the gym. Aomine grabbed a basketball, digging his nails into it.

"Perfect timing," he hissed, looking at Haizaki with a glare that could kill. "I just happened to be in an extremely shitty mood."

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **One more chapter left!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Akemi sat curled up in a ball at the corner of the infirmary. Her face probably looked terrible. After Haizaki had left, she had collapsed and remained unable to move, petrified with fear. Another sob racked her small frame as she recalled what he had done and she buried her face in her arms. What had she done to deserve this? She might have liked him at one point, but all of that was in the past. He had never paid her any attention in the first place, so why did he do it now? A shiver ran down her spine when she remembered the predatory glint in his eyes as he'd left the infirmary.

She felt scared beyond her imagination.

She grabbed onto the nearest chair and pulled herself up slowly, taking deep breaths to clam herself. Her thoughts flashed to Aomine. Perhaps seeing him would quell her fears. With that small hope in her mind, she staggered out of the door and towards the school gym.

* * *

Two quarters of the game had passed and Too was leading 66-19. It was almost ridiculous how many points Aomine had scored, making one basket after the other. Three minutes into the third quarter and Haizaki's irritation had climbed to the top.

"Hey, Daiki. Thinking about it, it's been quite a while since I played you, eh?" The silver-haired boy grinned, his eyes narrowing maliciously. "How have you been getting along wit your little girlfriend?"

The tanned ace glared daggers at Haizaki. "Shut the hell up. And I don't have a girlfriend, for your information." Haizaki stared, momentarily forgetting about his frustration.

" _Don't_ have a girlfriend? Weren't you dating Akemi?"

"What gives you that impression, you asshole? She let her kiss you and you still think that we're dating?" Aomine snorted. Haizaki stood, stunned for a second before a smirk worked its way onto his face.

"You've got to be kidding me. After I saw her running out of the hospital crying on that day, I would have thought there was a development. But what's this? An unrequited love?" Haizaki chuckled. "This is hilarious."

Aomine didn't move, his hands clenching into fists.

"How 'bout you do me a favor and just _shut the hell up_?"

Haizaki grabbed the back of Aomine's shirt, tugging on it. The rest of the game had paused, observing the interaction between the two.

"Oh my, you still have this scar. I'm surprised you don't hate her for it," the silver-haired boy sneered.

"H-Haizaki-san…" Momoi stepped onto the court, her eyebrows creasing slightly. "I really think that you shouldn't."

"Shut up, Satsuki." Haizaki shot her a glare before turning back to Aomine, an amused smirk appearing on his face.

"That scar doesn't have anything to do with this. I got tat in a train accident, that's all. How the hell do you know about it in the first place?"

"Oh, I know everything. My parents have quite a high status in the Kotoba Hospital, after all. But a train accident? You don't recall anything…anyone else, for instance?"

Aomine whirled around, effectively getting Haizaki's hands off of his shirt.

"What the hell is your problem, you bastard?" he growled. Haizaki whistled.

"Getting quite agitated here, are we. You honestly don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

At that moment, the door to thy gym creaked open and Akemi stepped inside, panting lightly. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.

"Aw, Daiki, it's such a shame. Tsubasa Akemi happens to be the very reason for that scar on your back."

The door slammed shut.

There was a silence in the gym and everyone turned and stared at the white-haired girl. Akemi's mouth opened and closed in shock as she processed what Haizaki had just said.

No.

 _No._

He did _not_ just say that.

He promise. He _swore_ not to tell.

But she should have known that Haizaki's promises were always empty ones. She felt her knees starting to go weak and her hands balled up into fists.

"Y-You…"

A small trembling voice broke the silence.

"Shougo, you bastard!"

Akemi flew at the basketball player, knocking him over in his surprise and punched his chest repeatedly.

"You promised you wouldn't say anything! You told me that you wouldn't! You absolute jerk! Die! Now everything is…" The rest of her sentences broke off into quiet sob and the girl scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"T-Tsubasa-chan…"

"Shut the hell up, teach'. You know that you can't hurt me with those weak little arms anyway. Although, I admit, having you on top of me is quite _enticing_ …" The silver-haired basketball player grinned maliciously, seemingly delighted at the girl's tears.

"Y-you," Momoi began, stepping towards Tsubasa and Haizaki.

A sudden arm wrapped around Akemi's small wrist, pulling her back into a strong, muscular chest. Aomine kicked Haizaki's stomach, his eyes narrowed in anger. He didn't do it particularly hard, but from Haizaki's reaction, it must still have hurt.

"Who do you think you are to tell me that?" the blue-haired ace growled, anger flashing in his eyes. "I was waiting for Tubasa to tell me, yet you dare butt in."

"H-huh?" Haizaki looked up at Aomine, confusion etched into his face as Aomine glared down at him.

"That's business between Tsubasa and me. You don't have any right to interfere." With those words, Aomine pulled the girl through the gym door and outside. The coach stared at the court. Momoi smiled.

"Shall we resume the match, perhaps?"

* * *

Akemi rubbed at her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. Aomine brought her to a bench near the back of the school, sitting down and sighed.

"Agh. My acting failed, I suppose."

She looked at him, still crying, confused. Aomine smirked at her expression.

"That stuff,a bout the train accident? I knew about it a along time ago."

The girl's jaw dropped and she stared at him.

"W-what do you-"

"I bumped into an old lady at the train station not too long after my injury healed. She asked me wher 'Tsubasa' was."

"H-hu?"

"Well, of course, I had no idea who you were, but the old lady told me she had seen the accident happen. Apparently, I pushed you out of the train's way when you ran stupidly across the tracks and got hit myself. Naturally, I don't recall who the hell you were, until you explained our whole relationship, but well… Let's just say that my amnesia has been cured for a while now?"

"Y-y-you!"

Upon realization, her face flushed in anger and embarrassment and more tears fell from her eyes.

"A-Aomine…you idiot!"

"H-hey, stop crying, would you? Aren't you supposed to be happy?"

"I'm not happy at all!" she sobbed. "Aomine, you liar! And here I was, worrying about the accident the entire time, thinking I had no right to date you because of that, passing out every day because of you! You jerk!"

Aomine grinned, pulling the girl into his arms.

"No right to date, huh… I take it that you like me back then?"

She sniffed in response.

"Who knows?"

Aomine sighed.

"And here I was, thinking that I wouldn't have a chance… You really lead people on well, you know?"

Akemi smiled ever so slightly, er eyes watering.

"I hate you, you smooth bastard."

He chuckled.

"Love you too."

* * *

"I…like you…"

A 13-year old Aomine stared down at the trembling white-haired girl that was looking down at the floor.

"E-Excuse me?" he stammered, clearly surprised at the sudden confession. "Sorry, but what was your name again?"

The girl looked up at him, hurt by the obvious rejection. "W-Well… if you don't remember me then… never mind. I'm going now."

Aomine watched as the young girl ran across the platform, her long hair flowing out behind her like a curtain. Then suddenly, a train sped by.

"Watch out-"

The girl was suddenly jerked back, tumbling into a pair of arms which encircled her waist.

There was no accident.

* * *

When she woke up, Akemi found herself lying next to Aomine who was slumbering peacefully. After yesterday's events, the two of them had started dating.

Dating.

The word sounded too unfamiliar to her. But it made her happy nonetheless. She grinned, running her hands through Aomine's shirt blue hair, sighing contently.

"Nnn," the blue-haired ace mumbled, his eyes opening a bit, grinning lazily up at her.

"You look quite sexy with a bedhead, Akemi-chan…"

The girl flushed lightly.

"Don't call me that. It's creepy."

Aomine smirked and pulled her closer to his chest, sighing, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

"A-Aomine! We should get up now…"

"It's Daiki, remember?" he grumbled.

"D-Daiki! We really should get up! We're in Momoi's house, remember?"

"Urgh, I don't want to. We still have to decide what to do about your parents and all of that other shit. It's such a pain. I'm gonna sleep."

The white head hit him lightly.

"Daiki, seriously! We need to go downstairs!"

Another groan escaped his lips.

"Damn, you can be so noisy sometimes. It's annoying. Why aren't you more quiet?"

The girl scowled at his words.

"That's mean Aomine! I finally got my voice back and all you do is complain about it!"

She could feel Aomine grin against her hair.

"Just kidding. I love your voice more than anything, Akemi."

Akemi flushed and buried her face deeper into his chest.

"F-fine. Just five more minutes, got it?"

Aomine wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Love you."

"…Love you too."

* * *

 **Extra**

"Hey, Aomine…"

"Daiki."

"F-fine… Daiki?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you ask 'who are you' when we met at the train station?"

A blush.

"W-well… You were dressed up that day, right? I was taken aback. It was just a joke… I didn't think it would lead to all of this…"

Silence.

"So, are you saying I looked pretty to the point where you were so speechless you had to cover it up with a joke?"

"…"

A laugh.

"Are you blushing, A-ho-mi-ne?"

"…Shut up."

 **THE END**

 **A/N: I don't own anything**

 **And we are officially done with this story! I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did and I'll upload the next story as soon as possible. I hope you'll look that one up to and I'm looking forward to your reviews.**

 **P.S. The next one will also be from Quotev and it will also be a corrected version, so not my own story. And the name of the hospital is an imagined one, just so you know.**


	15. More stories!

**For all of you who are interested in more stories from the same author; here's the link to her account on Quotev. Check it out if you want and maybe you'll find other stories you'll like. B the way; she also has another Amine story that's currently ongoing!**

 **OtakuNekoSan**


End file.
